


Blank and Pitiless As the Sun

by enigmaticblue



Series: More Than Was Lost (Has Been Found) [5]
Category: Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. (TV), Marvel 616, Marvel Cinematic Universe
Genre: Action/Adventure, Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Avengers Family, Brainwashing, F/M, Hurt/Comfort, M/M, Science Bros, Science Husbands
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-11-04
Updated: 2017-11-04
Packaged: 2019-01-29 09:55:48
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 5
Words: 62,109
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/12628437
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/enigmaticblue/pseuds/enigmaticblue
Summary: Unbeknownst to Bruce and Tony, various forces are coming to bear, intent on destroying everything they’ve built. Jennifer is trying to find a way to balance needs and wants. And Pepper just wants to hold everything together.





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> Written for the marvel_bang 2017. For the record, yes, the title does come from Yeats’ poem, “The Second Coming.” Also, this is a major departure from canon. Like, just forget everything you thought you knew about Age of Ultron and Civil War (and quite a bit from Agents of SHIELD, too) and roll with it. Although I am stealing bits of Marvel 616 canon if that makes you happy.
> 
> WARNING: There is mention of attempted brainwashing (poor Tony), but nothing terribly graphic.

Series summary: Just in case you don’t want to reread the series again before reading this one, and you need a refresher on previous fics. If you don't need the refresher, skip this and move on to the next chapter.

 

 **More Than Was Lost** : Instead of Yinsen, Bruce Banner winds up in the cave in Afghanistan with Tony. Tony convinces Bruce to come back to LA with him, and SHIELD offers protection from the Army in exchange for Bruce ensuring they get a conversation with Tony. Jennifer Walters, Bruce’s cousin (She-Hulk from the comics), discovers he’s alive and barges in. Together, they manage to stop Obadiah Stane.

 

 **Iron and Blood** : Bruce and Tony are in a race against time to find a replacement core for the arc reactor since Tony is slowly dying of palladium poisoning. Tony makes Pepper CEO and gives Bruce a position at Stark Industries because he’s worried he won’t be around. He insists on holding the Expo to cement his legacy in the field of clean energy. Bruce foils an attempt by SHIELD to plant Natasha Romanoff as a spy, with the result that SHIELD openly assigns her as Tony’s assistant and assigns Leo Fitz and Jemma Simmons as Bruce’s. An Air Force mission involving the Hulk leads to a Senate hearing where Rhodey is forced to testify. Bruce worries the government will come after him, and Tony is his usual self. There’s a growing concern that neither Bruce nor Tony are under any kind of government or military control.

 

The Army kidnaps Bruce while he’s with Jennifer, and shoots her in the process, requiring a blood transfusion from Bruce, and turning her into the She-Hulk. In the end, Bruce, Fitz, and Simmons discover the new element necessary to power Tony’s arc reactor, and Tony, Bruce, and Jennifer stop Ivan Vanko from destroying the Expo. SHIELD recommends Bruce for the Avengers Initiative, but not the Hulk, and recommends Tony only if Bruce is present. SHIELD also recommends Jennifer with a few reservations.

 

 **Bear Me Safe Through Dark** : Bruce and Tony are planning their wedding, and waiting as things seem almost _too_ quiet. Tony gifts Rhodey with the War Machine armor, partly to take the heat off them for not being under military or government control. Just as the new Stark Tower goes live, Agent Coulson contacts them to help with the emerging problem of Loki and the tesseract. Meanwhile, Pepper is doing everything she can to make Stark Industries successful, and is dating Phil on the side.

 

After the events of New York and the Chitauri invasion, Bruce struggles with guilt for transforming on the helicarrier, while Tony wrestles with PTSD after riding a nuke through space. The wedding gets postponed, and things get tense when Aldrich Killian decides to kidnap Bruce and use his blood to perfect Extremis. Rhodey is instrumental in rescuing Bruce, thus repairing their relationship, and Tony and Bruce eventually get married with plans to move to New York since the mansion winds up in the ocean. The news of Phil’s survival comes sooner rather than later, and Phil starts his own team, taking Fitz and Simmons with him. Jennifer begins to experience the allure of being a superhero, finding it easier to be green in a lot of ways.

 

 **Only This Seems Clear** : Bruce and Tony are taking steps to change the world, and they only hire the best, from public relations expert Matty Taylor to Miriam, who is in charge of their prototype model town, to Dominique Green, their new driver. Meanwhile, Hank Pym is calling out Stark Industries every chance he gets in order to settle an old score with Howard Stark and SHIELD.

 

Behind the happy couple, there’s trouble brewing. They know SHIELD has a mole, and they can’t trust the organization. Tony is asked to consult on the new helicarrier technology. Jen’s secret life spills over into her work, and her activities cause a rift between her and Bruce. Jennifer’s job takes her to D.C. and brings her closer to Steve, Natasha—and Sam Wilson. Pepper is enjoying a casual relationship with Phil and trying not to worry about him while he’s off on a mission. And then Hydra rises and SHIELD falls, leaving the Avengers on their own as an independent entity funded by Tony, and Phil Coulson as the director, trying to keep the remnants together, while Pepper upholds the public image of SI as best she can.


	2. Chapter 2

“Turning and turning in the widening gyre  
    The falcon cannot hear the falconer;  
    Things fall apart; the centre cannot hold;  
    Mere anarchy is loosed upon the world,  
    The blood-dimmed tide is loosed, and everywhere  
    The ceremony of innocence is drowned;  
    The best lack all conviction, while the worst  
    Are full of passionate intensity.

    Surely some revelation is at hand;  
    Surely the Second Coming is at hand.  
    The Second Coming! Hardly are those words out  
    When a vast image out of Spiritus Mundi  
    Troubles my sight: a waste of desert sand;  
    A shape with lion body and the head of a man,  
    A gaze blank and pitiless as the sun,  
    Is moving its slow thighs, while all about it  
    Wind shadows of the indignant desert birds.

    The darkness drops again but now I know  
    That twenty centuries of stony sleep  
    Were vexed to nightmare by a rocking cradle,  
    And what rough beast, its hour come round at last,  
    Slouches towards Bethlehem to be born?

 

~”The Second Coming,” William Butler Yeats

 

 

Bruce lets himself into Leo Fitz’s hospital room, surprised once again not to see Simmons. Fitz is sleeping, but is off the ventilators and other machinery that have been a constant presence since his near drowning.

 

Bruce brought protein bites, easy to eat and doctor approved, and sets the container within easy reach. Bruce pulls out a book and begins to read the latest copy of _Journal of Radioanalytical and Nuclear Chemistry_. If Fitz prefers Bruce to read out loud when he wakes up, he’ll do that.

 

Bruce doesn’t know if Fitz gets a lot of other visitors. He can understand why Coulson might not be able to visit; he has his hands full. But no Simmons? No one else from his team?

 

Fitz stirs restlessly, and a brief smile forms when he sees Bruce. “D-doctor…” He trails off, and Bruce knows he’s searching for Bruce’s name.

 

“Bruce is fine,” he says after a moment. “Or you can call me whatever you want.”

 

Fitz nods. “Sorry.”

 

“You’re still going to speech therapy?” Bruce asks.

 

Fitz nods. “Rough.”

 

“It’s going to take some time to rebuild those mental connections,” Bruce says. “Give yourself a break, Leo.”

 

Fitz smiles. “Thanks.”

 

“I’m using you as a guinea pig, just so you know,” Bruce replies. “I got permission from your doctor, but these protein bites are full of nutrients. I need to know whether I should feed them to Steve.”

 

Fitz shrugs. “That would be—it’s—” He closes his eyes. “Fine.”

 

“A thumbs up or down is all I need,” Bruce replies, and holds out the open container. Fitz’s fine motor control has been slightly compromised, but he doesn’t have any problem grabbing one of the balls and taking a bite.

 

He offers a very enthusiastic thumbs up.

 

“Good to know,” Bruce replies. “I was reading an article on uncertainty calculations. Do you want me to read it out loud?”

 

“You don’t…” Fritz frowns in frustration. “…have to.”

 

“Well, I could always read in silence while you stare at me, but I really only let Tony do that.”

 

That gets a real smile out of him. “Please.”

 

Bruce goes back to the beginning of the article and starts to read out loud. He’s pretty sure the article won’t make much sense to anyone who’s not a nuclear physicist, and he probably should have brought an engineering or robotics journal. On the other hand, he’s pretty sure Fitz appreciates someone talking science to him.

 

Fitz eats another protein bite, but then conks out midway through the article. Bruce leaves the food behind and resolves to come back in another day or two. He doesn’t know where his team is, although he imagines they’re plenty busy. He just doesn’t like to think about Fitz on his own.

 

He pauses at the end of the bed and picks up Fitz’s chart, and sees that he’s due to be released in a couple of days.

 

Bruce pulls out his phone to call Coulson as he leaves the room, only to stop dead. “Phil.”

 

“Dr. Banner,” Coulson replies smoothly, although he looks far more worn and tired since the last time Bruce saw him. “I appreciate you looking out for him.”

 

“It’s my pleasure.” Bruce tucks his phone away. “You know I think of Leo as family.”

 

Coulson’s smile is a little tight around the corners, and he says, “I do know that, which is why I would greatly appreciate it if he stayed with you for a while.”

 

Bruce frowns. “Of course. He can stay as long as he likes or needs, but—”

 

“I don’t have the resources right now,” Coulson admits, cutting Bruce off. “We’re working on cleaning up Hydra’s mess, and Fitz needs rehabilitation and care.”

 

Bruce nods. “You’ll get no argument from me.”

 

Coulson shakes Bruce’s hand. “Thanks.”

 

“Phil, take care of yourself,” Bruce replies.

 

Briefly, Coulson’s utter weariness makes an appearance, and he says, “You too. Keep me updated?”

 

“I’d suggest calling Fitz yourself if you want updates,” Bruce replies.

 

Coulson nods and slips inside Fitz’s room, and Bruce wonders just what the hell is going on with the remains of SHIELD to have Coulson this worn down. At least Bruce knows that Fitz will be safe while he recovers.

 

Bruce heads out to meet the waiting car and driver, climbing into the backseat. He still feels a little awkward about being driven around, at least when Tony’s not with him, but not dealing with New York City traffic means less chances of the Other Guy making an appearance.

 

“Thank you, Ms. Green,” Bruce says as she pulls out.

 

“Not a problem at all, Dr. Banner,” she replies with a smile. “I’ll have you home in a jiffy.”

 

“How are those kids of yours doing?” Bruce asks. He’s tired, and not really in the mood for small talk, but he also knows the value of having loyal employees.

 

And no matter how long Bruce has been with Tony at this point, he’s never forgotten the lessons learned from years of hiding.

 

“They’re great, doc,” she says. “Thanks for asking,” and then seems to read his mood and maintains silence for the rest of the drive.

 

“I hope you can get some good rest tonight, Dr. Banner,” she says when she pulls up in front of the Tower. “You look like you could use it.”

 

“Just a lot of things on my plate at present,” Bruce replies. “But I’m going to try. Have a good evening.”

 

Bruce finds Matty waiting for him in the Penthouse, another one of those things on Bruce’s plate. “Glad I caught you,” he says. “I wanted to see if any of the candidates for the assistant position made the cut.”

 

Bruce sighs. “No, unfortunately. Ideally, they would have access to most of our projects, and do you know how many people seem to be in the industrial espionage market?”

 

“A lot?” Matty guesses. “Which is why I have an offer for you. It’s a stop gap measure _at best_ , but it could kill a couple of birds with one stone.”

 

Bruce starts the kettle for tea. “I’m all ears.”

 

“Students,” Matty says. “Late high school through grad school. Offer tuition reimbursement, references, and the possibility of a job later on. You get good publicity, and you line up the next generation of young scientists to work for you, rather than the competition.”

 

Bruce narrows his eyes. “You have someone in mind already?”

 

“Frankly, Aaron could use something to do this summer,” Matty replies. “And I’m offering his labor for free. I’d like him to get some real experience, and you know he can keep a secret.”

 

Bruce has no problem with that idea. “You know we’re happy to give him a summer job, but that doesn’t exactly help us long term. He’ll be back to school in August.”

 

“I have a couple of grad students vetted who are salivating at the opportunity to work with you,” Matty says. “Both of them come highly recommended, they’re mostly done with their coursework outside their dissertations, and they both have a mountain of student debt.”

 

Bruce sees where he’s going with that immediately. “We hire them, offer to pay their loans if they work for us for a certain period of time with a generous salary and benefits, as long as they don’t spy for Pym, or someone else.”

 

“Pretty much,” Matty agrees.

 

Bruce nods. “We’ll give it a try. Who are these two paragons you’re talking about?”

 

“Randall Jessup, masters degree in bio-engineering with a specialty in renewable energy,” Matty says. “And Melissa Leucenstern, climate science and biology. She has a criminal history as a juvenile offender, but has cleaned up her act.”

 

Bruce shrugs. “I have a history as a juvenile offender. I’m hardly one to judge. Is it something that’s going to bite us in the ass later?”

 

“She did her time in juvie, completed her high school education, and went on to graduate with honors from the University of Michigan,” Matty replies. “She’s ABD at Cal U, but has been struggling to find funding.”

 

Bruce thinks about it. “Provided they both sign a nondisclosure agreement with stringent clauses, and they survive the interview, I don’t see the problem.”

 

“What about high school students, other than Aaron?” Matty asks.

 

Bruce considers it. “There can’t be _that_ many high school geniuses.”

 

“You know Aaron goes to Midtown School of Science and Technology, and just how smart he is, and he’s not even at the top of his class,” Matty points out. “Put them on the scut work you’re stuck with because you don’t have an assistant. You can scope out the next generation of talent.”

 

“Case by case basis only,” Bruce says. “But you make a good point.”

 

“I figure it’s time to think outside the box,” Matty replies. “Particularly since you have to worry about corporate espionage.”

 

Bruce shrugs. “All right. I’ll talk to Tony. When is Aaron done with school?”

 

“Two weeks, but I can send him over on Monday right after school,” Matty replies. “He’s grounded, by the way.”

 

Bruce smiles. “Any particular reason you’re using Tony and I to punish him?”

 

“He expressed interest in a job before, and he took quite a shine to you two at the New Years party.” Matty sighs. “So, I’m not using you to punish him, just to look after him while he’s being punished. And I caught him smoking weed.”

 

“A relatively minor offense in the grand scheme of things,” Bruce comments.

 

“And still something that could ruin his life,” Matty replies. “He should learn how to hide it better at the very least.”

 

“Granted,” Bruce agrees. “If you want, I can have Jennifer have a word with him about the legal consequences of drug possession.”

 

Matty shakes his head. “No, thank you. I already spoke to him.” He rubs his eyes. “I have no idea if I’m doing the right thing.”

 

Bruce watches him for a long moment. “Sometimes all you can do is provide a safe space and unconditional love, Matty.”

 

“Thanks, Bruce,” Matty replies.

 

Bruce nods. “Of course. I’ll look for Aaron on Monday.”

 

Matty takes his leave, and Bruce thinks about what he said. He and Tony both want to leave a legacy of something other than death and destruction, and part of that means nurturing the next generation of scientists.

 

After all, Bruce and Tony aren’t going to be able to save the world just by themselves.

 

Bruce wanders down to the lab to find Tony working on what looks to be designs for the next iteration of the suit.

 

Tony greets him with an absent-minded kiss. “What did Matty have to say?”

 

“We’re interviewing a couple of assistants he found for us, and he volunteered his brother as an intern,” Bruce replies. “I said yes to Aaron, maybe on the other two if the interviews go well and they sign an NDA.”

 

“I’ll leave that in your capable hands,” Tony promises. “It’s really too bad that most of SHIELD’s scientists, other than Fitz and Simmons, were compromised by Hydra.”

 

Bruce has his own theories about that, namely about how many Nazi scientists were recruited into SHIELD, and how many of _those_ scientists then recruited others. Plus, from the data he has, Hydra targeted the scientists they couldn’t control or hadn’t subverted. “To be fair, at least some of them were being held hostage, but it’s hard to trust someone once they’ve worked for Hydra, even if it’s under duress.”

 

Tony nods. “They still had a choice, you know. I’m not saying I wouldn’t have made the same decision in their shoes, but they could have reached out for help.”

 

“To who?” Bruce counters. “If we didn’t know who in SHIELD we could trust, I doubt they did either.”

 

“Fair enough,” Tony admits. “How was Fitz?”

 

Bruce rests his forehead against Tony’s shoulder. “I ran into Coulson at the hospital. SHIELD doesn’t have the resources to care for him while he’s undergoing rehab, and he asked us to look after him.”

 

“Doable, and we owe him,” Tony replies. “I’ll make sure we have everything ready for him, and the appropriate experts lined up.”

 

And that’s one of the things Bruce loves about his husband: when it comes to people he cares about, he’ll go to the ends of the earth.

 

~~~~~

 

Jennifer stares at the pile of bills and then at the balance of her bank account and curses bitterly. Her severance package had been generous, but she has student loans to pay, rent, and the rest of her bills. The truth is, even with an associate’s salary, she didn’t have a lot left over at the end of every month, which means she doesn’t have much in savings.

 

She has a standing offer from Stark Industries, of course, but she’s never wanted to practice corporate law, and she hates the idea of taking a position from someone who truly wants it based on nepotism.

 

And it absolutely galls her to know that she could make a single phone call, and between them, Bruce and Tony would wipe out her debts, fund her lifestyle, and generally ensure that she wants for nothing.

 

They would be _gracious_ about it, too, is the thing, and Jennifer really doesn’t think she could deal with that.

 

She reached out to a few old school friends, but while they’d been sympathetic, no one had any leads. Her involvement in the fall of SHIELD has gotten around, and while her reputation as an attorney is intact, she has too much baggage.

 

“My best advice would be to hang out your own shingle,” a former classmate advised. “Either that, or see if you can get a job with a nonprofit that would jump at the chance to get an attorney of your caliber.”

 

“You mean Legal Aid or the ACLU,” Jennifer replies. “Davey, they’ll have the same objections the other employers do.”

 

“So, you’re just going to give up?” Davey asks incredulously. “Jen, the firm might have had reason to terminate your employment, but you basically have a disability, and you can make a strong argument for reasonable accommodation. Just—think about it.”

 

Jennifer has done nothing but think about it, and she still doesn’t have much of a game plan. She’s sent in a few resumes, reached out to a few old mentors, talked to career services at her alma mater… Nothing.

 

If she had all the time in the world, she’d be fine, but she doesn’t. She’s been out of work for two months now, and she hasn’t had so much as a nibble.

 

Her phone rings, and Jennifer sees Sam’s name show up on the caller ID. She’s pleasantly surprised to hear from him and picks up on the second ring. “Hey.”

 

“How’s it going?” Sam asks, his voice warm.

 

They’ve kept in touch sporadically over the last few months since the revelations about Hydra and taking down SHIELD. Jennifer doesn’t really mind; they’d had a good time together, but she has her own life, and Sam was helping Steve track down Barnes.

 

But Sam is warm and sympathetic, and Jennifer really just wants to vent to a friend who can’t and won’t solve her problems by writing a check.

 

“Well, I’m unemployed, and all the rejection letters I’ve received have made special mention about how someone with my abilities would be wasted,” Jennifer replies. “I have a pile of bills, and I haven’t told Bruce how bad it is, and he’ll probably scold me when I finally confess. And I’m whining, and being a shitty friend, so how are you?”

 

Sam has the audacity to laugh at her. “I’m all right. I just got into the city, actually. I’m relocating to New York for a while, took a lateral transfer to do it, and was thinking we could get dinner.”

 

Jennifer really, really wants a night out on the town with a guy she likes and finds attractive, but she doesn’t think she’d be good company. “I don’t know. I should probably work on my cover letters.”

 

“Jen, I swear that I don’t care if you just want to vent all evening,” Sam says. “I want to see _you_. My treat.”

 

“I don’t want you feeling sorry for me,” Jennifer warns.

 

Sam pauses. “Jennifer, no offense, but you’re a smart, educated woman with wealthy relatives who aren’t going to let you wind up on the street, no matter how much you hate accepting help. Think about the people I serve.”

 

The hit is palpable, and Jennifer winces, even though she’s pretty sure she deserved that. “You’re right.”

 

“I’m sorry,” Sam says, his tone softening. “That was out of line.”

 

“No, you’re right,” Jennifer repeats. “I’ve been wallowing, and there are a lot of other people who are in far worse straits than I am.”

 

“So, dinner tonight?” Sam asks. “Or tomorrow works for me, too.”

 

“No, let’s do it tonight,” Jennifer replies. “I would love the break. And I promise that I won’t whine any more than I already have.”

 

Sam sighs. “Jen, I didn’t mean—”

 

“It’s fine,” Jennifer says quickly. “A good, swift kick in the ass is exactly what I needed.”

 

“And that’s not what a friend does,” Sam counters.

 

Jennifer smiles. “Oh, I don’t know. Tony once did me a solid by doing just that.”

 

“See you at seven?” Sam asks.

 

“I’ll text you my address,” Jennifer promises. She’s still stinging from Sam’s rebuke, and she decides just to get things over with. She’s already feeling like shit, so it’s not like Bruce will make it worse.

 

She sends the text off to Sam, then shoots off another one to Bruce. _Need to talk soon._

 

She’s not all that surprised when her phone immediately rings with an incoming videoconference with Bruce’s name on the caller ID. Jennifer accepts the call with a sigh. “Hey, cuz.”

 

“I know that tone of voice,” Bruce says. “What can I do for you?”

 

“I haven’t been able to find a job,” Jennifer confesses in a rush. “And I put my student loans on deferment, but I can’t do the same thing for my apartment, and—”

 

Bruce holds up a hand. “Jen, I told you. I owe you. I’m guessing things are pretty dire if you’re calling me.”

 

“I resemble that remark,” Jennifer mutters. “And you don’t _owe_ me. This wasn’t your fault.”

 

Bruce shrugs. “Fine. Then when the Army finally pays out damages or decides to settle, you can repay me from your share.”

 

“And if they don’t settle and we lose?” Jennifer counters, because she’s not feeling terribly sanguine about their chances these days. Right now, she feels like she’s about as much use as the little boy plugging the dike with his fingers.

 

“Then we’ll still call it a loan until the next time you save Tony’s life, and we’ll be even,” Bruce says firmly.

 

Jennifer raises her eyebrows. “Tony’s life?”

 

“You think I put a price tag on his life?” Bruce replies with a smile. “And there’s not much that can kill me. So, yeah, call it an investment in his future, because having another Hulk on hand may come in handy.”

 

“You put a lot of faith in me,” Jennifer says.

 

Bruce shakes his head. “I _have_ a lot of faith in you; there’s a difference. Come over for dinner tomorrow, and we’ll discuss the terms.”

 

Jennifer nods, grateful that she doesn’t have to explain that she has a date.

 

“And Jen?” Bruce adds before ending the call. “I’m proud of you. I know from experience how brave you have to be to let someone help you.”

 

He ends the call then, but Jennifer has to admit that she’s a little choked up, Bruce’s words a balm that soothes the sting of asking for assistance.

 

Jennifer figures it’s probably time to let go of the dream of the corner office, and being a partner in the white shoe law firm. That life is gone now, and she’d better get used to it.

 

She takes special care with her appearance, although she doesn’t dress up much, sticking to her favorite pair of skinny jeans, a blouse, and a pair of flats. She’s going for cute and comfortable, and she thinks she’s nailed it.

 

Sam shows up right on time and offers his arm like a gentleman. “How’s it going?”

 

Jennifer shrugs. “I’m going to have dinner with Bruce tomorrow. What about you?”

 

“The leads on Steve’s friend dried up,” Sam replies, “so we’re taking a break. I’m actually hoping to get in to see Mr. Stark for a new set of wings now that I have the time.”

 

“I can ask tomorrow,” Jennifer offers. “It might speed up the process.”

 

“I’d appreciate it.” Sam offers a broad grin. “Although I don’t want you to think that I’m using you for your connections.”

 

“Never,” Jennifer says. “Tony likes an engineering challenge, and he already offered, so it’s just a matter of asking him to clear space in his schedule.”

 

Sam opens the door for her. “So, I was thinking Italian.”

 

“I can do Italian,” Jennifer replies cheerfully. “You know, the best part about the whole going green thing is being able to eat anything I want and not gain an ounce.”

 

“Way to look at the bright side.” Sam gives her a sideways look. “You don’t have to pretend to be doing better than you are for my sake, you know.”

 

Jennifer shrugs. “I vented, and I called Bruce, so I’m fine.”

 

Sam winces. “Jen…”

 

“Don’t worry about it,” Jennifer insists. “Mostly, I just want to enjoy dinner and not think about the rest of it. I’ve been thinking about nothing else but that for a while now.”

 

“Fair enough,” Sam says.

 

“How’s Steve doing?” Jennifer asks, wanting a quick change of subject. She hasn’t talked to Steve in weeks, and she knows Bucky’s reappearance had rocked Steve back a step or two.

 

Sam holds a hand out, see-sawing it back and forth. “Disappointed that his search didn’t bear fruit, mostly, and he’s worried about his friend.”

 

“Surely Barnes wouldn’t stay in the United States, though,” Jennifer says. “His face was all over the news, and from what we’ve gathered, he was most active in Eastern Europe. Maybe he retreated to ground he knows well, even when he’s not brainwashed.”

 

Sam blinks. “Why didn’t we think of that?”

 

“Because to Steve, he’s still Bucky from Brooklyn, and to you, he’s Steve’s friend from Brooklyn,” Jennifer points out reasonably. “To me, he’s the dude from the 1940’s who everybody thought was dead but was actually brainwashed and tortured by the Russians for years, so maybe he’s pretty comfortable in the Eastern Block.”

 

Sam laughs. “Jen, you are wasted in the field of law. Maybe you should think about being a superhero full time.”

 

“As soon as that’s a thing, I’ll consider it,” Jennifer replies primly. “Seriously, Sam, I get that he’s Steve’s friend, and probably a good guy under all the conditioning, but he _was_ an agent of Hydra. If somebody figures out how to work his programming, it might not go so well.”

 

That sparks an idea, one that she’s not inclined to share at the moment.

 

Sam wraps an arm around her shoulders. “Trust me, you’re preaching to the choir here. He’s convinced that all Bucky needs is a friend, and everything will work out.”

 

“All you need is love?” Jennifer says softly. “That’s a nice idea, but rarely survives an engagement with the real world.”

 

“I didn’t realize you were a cynic,” Sam replies.

 

Jennifer gives him a look. “I’m a lawyer, which means I’m a pragmatist. Do you know, I’ve represented more than a few clients who spent years behind bars for crimes they didn’t commit? The world is an imperfect place, and even though they were innocent, they didn’t walk away from their time unscathed. They need money, social support, therapy…”

 

“All things that Bucky didn’t get and probably won’t,” Sam agrees. “Well, if we track him down, I will happily encourage him to get that help.”

 

Jennifer shakes her head. “Come on, Sam. Do you really think he’s going to get a happy ending? He’s already wanted for a string of murders, among other things.”

 

“Under duress,” Sam reminds her.

 

“And who’s going to accept that?” Jennifer asks. “I’m not saying I wouldn’t defend him in a court of law, but even if you could show that he was brainwashed and being controlled when he committed those murders, the best case scenario would still put him in a mental institution until he was considered no longer a danger to himself or others.”

 

Sam gives her a sharp look. “You’ve been thinking about this a lot.”

 

“I’ve had a lot of time on my hands,” Jennifer replies. “And Steve’s my friend. I like to be realistic when I’m looking at possible scenarios.”

 

“Steve isn’t going to accept that, you know,” Sam points out.

 

“Yeah, I know,” Jennifer replies. “Which is why I’m telling _you_ , because if we’re going to have to convince him of that, it’s going to take both of us.”

 

Sam holds up his hands. “I don’t know, Jen. Cap…”

 

Jennifer thinks she understands. Steve is Steve, and he engenders loyalty in just about everybody, including Sam, probably because his own loyalty is fierce once gained. But she remembers how he and Natasha were all set to pull Sam into the mess with SHIELD without calling Tony or Bruce.

 

That worries her, to be honest, because Bruce and Tony are currently pulling together the resources to support the team, the _entire_ team. They aren’t drawing a line between themselves and everybody else.

 

Jennifer is a little worried that Steve will be all too willing to draw those lines, and while she understands why, it doesn’t sit right.

 

“We don’t need to borrow trouble,” Jennifer says firmly. “We’d have to find Bucky to know what to do with him, right?”

 

“Right,” Sam replies, the tension leaving his frame, and Jennifer wonders if she’s going to be in the middle of things always, torn between Bruce and Tony and the rest of the team.

 

She puts the question aside, deciding just to have a nice night out with Sam. Team politics can wait until later.

 

But in the back of her mind, an idea is beginning to form, a way to contribute that would use her skills.

 

~~~~~

 

Tony wanders into Bruce’s lab just as he’s shutting his computer down, even though it’s fairly early by their standards. “What’s this?”

 

“Jennifer is coming for dinner tonight,” Bruce replies distractedly. “And I know she’s freaking out, plus Fitz was upset after his appointment today because he’s not progressing as fast as he wants, and I have about a dozen reports to get through if I’m going to make sure our research assistants stay occupied—”

 

Tony hears that note in Bruce’s voice, the one that says he’s spinning himself up, and he puts his hands on Bruce’s shoulders. “Okay, deep breath, Jolly Green. We will handle all of it.”

 

“Right, you’re right,” Bruce says. “I’m going to give Jennifer a loan.”

 

“Well, you _could_ ,” Tony hedges, “but I may have, _possibly_ , taken care of a few things.”

 

Bruce raises his eyebrows. “And what things would those be?”

 

“To be fair, I feel like I kind of owe her for the thing with Killian, so it was really a thank you gift,” Tony replies.

 

The strain has left Bruce’s face, and he’s now looking reluctantly amused. “Okay.”

 

“So, you know, I might have paid off her student loans today,” Tony says. “Honestly, it wasn’t as much as I thought it would be. She had some impressive scholarships.”

 

Bruce laughs. “Of course you did. Anything else I should know about?”

 

“I thought about paying her rent for the next six months, but then I thought it might be handy to have her in the building,” Tony continues. “So, I’m suggesting we offer her a place to stay for free.”

 

“We’ve offered a place to the rest of the Avengers so why not her?” Bruce asks. “Is that your thinking?”

 

“Actually, I was thinking I want people here I trust, and I trust Jen,” Tony replies. “After what happened, after finding out what SHIELD really was under the shiny surface, I figure we both need people we trust gathered under one roof.”

 

Bruce nods. “I don’t disagree, although Jennifer is probably going to be pissed.”

 

“She can be pissed at me then,” Tony says. “I’m an eccentric billionaire; I’m allowed to be stupidly generous.”

 

Bruce laughs. “Yeah, well, I won’t lie and say that it doesn’t make things a little easier, although I already said I was proud of her for reaching out for help.”

 

“I’m proud of her, too,” Tony insists. “If I hated her, or if I wasn’t proud of her, or didn’t think she was family, I’d have made her show up with her hat in hand. She’s like the little sister I never knew I wanted. If she’d been a Stark, she wouldn’t have any student loans, so I fixed that for her.”

 

Bruce gives him a look that is equal parts exasperation and fondness, and Tony doesn’t know how he got so lucky. “I’ll let you break the news to her, then.”

 

Tony grins. “Happy to. Are you cooking, or are we ordering food?”

 

“I thought I’d cook,” Bruce replies. “Jennifer is a fan of my food, and she’s had a shitty time of things recently.”

 

Tony hums. “What’s for dinner?”

 

“Enchiladas,” Bruce replies. “She likes them, and they’re pretty easy. I wasn’t sure how much time I would have.”

 

“Sounds good.” Tony slings an arm around Bruce’s shoulders. “You know I like anything you make.”

 

Bruce raises his eyebrows. “I’m going to remember that the next time I make a vegetarian dish.”

 

“I never claimed to not like a meatless dish, I just complained about the lack of meat,” Tony points out, quite reasonably, he thinks.

 

“You’re the one who drinks those slimy green shakes,” Bruce counters. “Why you’d complain about a lack of meat in _one meal_ —”

 

“Those serve a purpose!” Tony protests.

 

Bruce shakes his head. “They _served_ a purpose. The toxicity levels in your blood are back to non-significant levels, which means you don’t need the chlorophyll to filter it out anymore.”

 

“I got used to them,” Tony replies. “Besides, I’m getting my greens.”

 

Bruce mutters something unintelligible, but that just makes Tony laugh. He and Bruce have well and truly settled into marital bliss, complete with the occasional argument and irritation. Bruce gets annoyed when Tony takes unnecessary risks, and Tony gets annoyed when Bruce puts on the brakes and is a little too cautious—at least in Tony’s mind.

 

Tony pours a drink and sits down at the bar overlooking the kitchen, watching as Bruce pulls the ingredients out of the fridge. Bruce cooks the way he does everything else—confidently, eyeballing ingredients, tasting and adding and stirring.

 

The enchiladas have just gone into the oven when the elevator chimes and Jennifer enters. She’s dressed casually, in capri yoga pants and an oversized t-shirt, and she walks straight into Bruce’s arms.

 

“Oh, hey,” Bruce says. “It’s fine. We’re going to get through this.”

 

“I think I just needed to hear you say that,” Jennifer replies, pulling back after a bit. “Thanks.”

 

“What’s up?” Bruce asks, concern deepening the lines around his eyes and mouth.

 

Jennifer shakes her head, her lips pressed into a thin line. “I just—it’s dumb.”

 

“It’s not dumb, and keep in mind that I had five years of running behind me when you found me,” Bruce insists. “You barely had any time to process what happened before you jumped back into your life.”

 

Jennifer shakes her head. “I know. I’m just—feeling like I need a hug.”

 

“That’s easily fixed,” Tony says, putting an arm around her shoulders and handing her a glass of wine.

 

Jennifer’s smile is grateful. “Thanks, guys.”

 

“By the way, your student loans are paid off, and there’s an apartment with your name on it in the building,” Tony says. “And before you say no, you’d be doing me a favor if you agreed.”

 

Jennifer blinks. “What? I thought—”

 

She turns an accusing look on Bruce, who immediately holds up his hands. “I didn’t have anything to do with this.”

 

“It was all me,” Tony admits easily. “I still owed you for Killian.”

 

“ _Tony_ ,” Jennifer protests, her tone of voice exactly the same as Bruce used earlier.

 

He shrugs unrepentantly. “You have to know that it was only a matter of time.”

 

Jennifer rolls her eyes, but she laughs and says, “True. But the apartment?”

 

“We’d like to have people we can trust under this roof,” Tony replies. “If you don’t want to move, we can talk about other arrangements.”

 

Jennifer hesitates. “I guess it would make sense for me to be here if you take me up on my offer.”

 

Tony waves her to a seat. “Sit. Explain.”

 

Jennifer sits and takes a sip of her wine. “What are you guys doing with the data from SHIELD?”

 

Tony winces, and can see Bruce do the same. “We did what we could to comb through it, but there was a lot,” Bruce says, sounding defensive. “Eventually, we decided the best option would be to put alerts up.”

 

Jennifer takes a deep breath. “You know that Steve is looking for his friend, right?”

 

Tony nods. “Sure. Why?”

 

“I think he probably left the country,” Jennifer says. She puts both her hands on the bar. “Look, we know that Pierce was using Barnes as his own private attack dog, and that Pierce was Hydra. It stands to reason that there’s information on Steve’s friend in those files.”

 

“It does,” Bruce agrees. “So, you want to help Steve find his friend?”

 

Jennifer shakes her head. “No. Well, yes. Kind of. It’s just—look, if we believe that Barnes was brainwashed and not acting of his own volition, if Hydra was actually controlling him, what happens if someone finds the key to controlling him again and finds him first? And how many other time bombs are there in that data? How much can we learn about Hydra if we take the time to go through it all?”

 

Tony shares a concerned look with Bruce. “Fair point,” Tony admits.

 

“I’m used to looking through volumes of evidence in order to put a case together,” Jennifer argues. “I look for patterns, for the smoking gun, for minor details that might otherwise be overlooked. _Someone_ needs to go through that data to see if there’s something in there that’s going to bite us in the ass later on.”

 

Tony happens to agree. All that information from SHIELD—encrypted though it might be—has been bothering him tremendously. There’s just so much of it, and he and Bruce have a lot of other responsibilities. They simply don’t have the capacity.

 

They also hadn’t been able to trust anybody with the job, so Jennifer’s offer is a boon.

 

“The job offer from SI is still good,” Tony says, “and we _do_ need someone to look through it. Neither Bruce nor I have the time, and we haven’t found anybody we can trust.”

 

Jennifer smiles, looking relieved. “Oh, good. I hate not working.”

 

“If you’re up for the challenge, then we need you on board, Jen,” Tony says.

 

She beams. “Okay, good. Great! I—that helps.”

 

“It helps us, too,” Bruce replies. “Thanks, Jen.”

 

Jennifer shrugs. “It’s just a thought I had, a way to keep busy while I pursue some other angles.”

 

“It’s a good thought,” Bruce insists. “Now, I have enchiladas.”

 

That’s as good a subject change as any, and they sit down to eat as a family. After dinner, they discuss when she’s going to move in, and how they’re going to move her things, and it’s mundane conversation, unimportant, but Tony can see both Bruce and Jennifer relaxing.

 

He’s pretty sure that whatever lingering tension between them dissipates after that conversation. Tony knows that Bruce and Jennifer have felt at least a little awkward after their fight, even after they’d made up, but they’re all on the same page now.

 

Tony hopes that stays true.

 

When Jennifer leaves, it’s late, and she seems a lot more relaxed than when she arrived. She’d let drop the information that she’d been out with Sam the night before, and passed along his request for a new set of wings. Tony tells her to send him by, partly because he can appreciate the challenge, and partly because he wants to decide for himself whether Wilson is good enough for her. At the moment, he’s leaning towards “not.”

 

“Okay, what else do we need to get done tonight?” Tony asks.

 

“I really do need to go through those reports and review the progress notes from Fitz’s doctors so I can figure out if there’s something we should be worried about,” Bruce replies. “Assuming Randall and Melissa are as competent as I hope they are, I should be able to off load a few more projects.”

 

Tony nods. “Give me half the reports, and you focus on Fitz. You’re better at that stuff than I am anyway.”

 

Tony hauls Bruce in for a hug. It’s reassurance and comfort and a reminder that whatever happens to be going on, they’re in it together. “Fitz has us, and that’s not insignificant.”

 

Bruce pulls back and initiates a kiss, warm and wet and a little needy, and Tony matches him. Their easy intimacy, forged over the years, is as comfortable as Tony’s favorite pair of pants.

 

“Bedroom,” Bruce manages to say. “Break first, then work.”

 

Tony is happy to oblige; they’ve been too busy the last few weeks to do much, and he can sense the mood easily enough. “You up for getting fucked?”

 

“Oh, yeah,” Bruce replies, a little breathless. “I’m more than _up_ for it.”

 

Tony laughs delightedly. “I’ve been rubbing off on you.”

 

“Far more rarely over the last couple of weeks,” Bruce replies. “And I’m really hoping we can skip the rubbing and move right on to the fucking.”

 

“God, I love you,” Tony murmurs.

 

Bruce chuckles. “The feeling is mutual.”

 

They take their time, Tony using his mouth and fingers to loosen Bruce up, then slides in with a single, sure stroke. Bruce is clearly into it tonight, because his erection doesn’t flag for a moment, and he clutches Tony’s hips, urging him on.

 

Tony offers Bruce a hand, and he gets off first, but Bruce is right behind him. They’re sticky and sated, relaxing back onto the bed as the sweat dries. Tony turns his head to press a kiss to Bruce’s bare shoulder, and Bruce rolls to drape an arm over Tony’s stomach.

 

“It’s good that Jen came to us,” Tony says quietly. “You guys seemed easier with each other tonight.”

 

Bruce is quiet for a moment. “Tonight was good.”

 

“Thoughts?”

 

“I’m worried about her,” Bruce admits. “A lot of her identity is wrapped up in being a lawyer, and she’s hurting right now. Having something useful to do will probably help, but that doesn’t mean it’s easy.”

 

“You’re worried she’s going to go off the deep end,” Tony says.

 

Bruce sighs. “Not really, not exactly. But Jennifer really didn’t have much of an adjustment period.”

 

“Well, she’ll be right here for us to keep an eye on,” Tony points out. “We’ll make sure she’s okay. Now, come on, let’s get cleaned up and knock those reports out before we’re both asleep.”

 

Tomorrow will present new challenges, but at least they’re in this together.

 

~~~~~

 

Pepper steps up to the podium. “I only have time for a few questions, and please, nothing about the Avengers.”

 

There’s a general grumble from the press, but one reporter’s hand immediately shoots up. “What is your response to Hank Pym’s recent statements?”

 

That’s skirting the edge of Pepper’s no-go zone since he’d denounced Stark Industries for its close ties with the Avengers, insinuating that SI could not be trusted.

 

“Dr. Pym has been a critic of Stark Industries for a long time,” Pepper replies. “Long before my tenure as CEO. He is welcome to his own opinions, but they are just that: _his_ opinions.”

 

“Dr. Pym indicated that he believes the Avengers Initiative is problematic,” another reporter interjects.

 

Pepper ignores him. “Other questions about the actual subject at hand?”

 

“When you do expect the next model town to be up and running?” another reporter asks.

 

Pepper rewards her with a smile. “Within the week. We’ve chosen the location in Mexico to demonstrate that this is an international solution to an international problem. Stark Industries is on the forefront of green energy, and we’re hoping to turn the tide of climate change.”

 

“Do you really think that the effects of climate change can be reversed, or is it just a pipe dream?” the same reporter calls out.

 

Pepper leans in to the microphone. “Your question seems to suggest that we should lie down and accept our fate if change isn’t possible, but when two of the smartest men on the planet tell me that we can fix the problem, I believe them.”

 

There’s really no good response to that, and she walks off after some applause. SI’s stocks are still on the rise, the smart house field is booming with SI on the cutting edge, and the Stark Phone and Stark Pad are selling quickly. They’re doing so well, in fact, that other companies are lining up for the privilege of investing in Stark Industries for a chance at their own arc reactor, and their own place in the sun.

 

Pepper knows what she’s doing, at least at work. She can’t say the same for her personal life at the moment.

 

At least she’s staying busy, and work serves as an admirable distraction from wondering why the hell Phil hasn’t been returning her calls for the last few weeks.

 

She has a flight from Los Angeles to Mexico City, since that’s where the next big SI project is located, with the model town a couple of hundred miles south in an area rich with natural resources but low on employment opportunities.

 

SI has received some flak for investing in other countries, rather than providing additional jobs in the US, but she feels strongly that SI should have an international presence. Tony wants _world_ peace, and the Avengers will likely have to clean up messes on foreign soil. Pepper is sowing the seeds that will provide cover for such an eventuality.

 

She turns on the news and frowns when she sees that the primary story is Hank Pym. Pym Technologies is struggling to compete in the current market, and going after the Avengers and Tony is an easy way of claiming the spotlight.

 

“Stark has explicitly stated that he wants to privatize world peace, but this is a man who has been known as the Merchant of Death,” Pym exclaims. “His partner is someone with enough destructive power to level buildings. Can we really trust them? There are more trustworthy methods of protection. Pym Technologies is working on a solution that will be independent, and be placed at the disposal of the US government and not some shadow organization.”

 

Pepper scowls and turns it off. The problem is that with SHIELD out of the picture, and with Hydra having infiltrated SHIELD, his words are gaining traction. The Avengers had close ties with SHIELD, and that’s cost them some support at least within the government.

 

They’ve done damage control, and public trust in them hasn’t been eroded—according to recent polls, anyway—but Pym isn’t doing them any favors, that’s for sure.

 

She shoots off a message to Matty along the lines of “have you seen this?” and focuses on the contracts for her review, and the reports she needs to read.

 

Her phone chimes with a text message just as she’s landing. She doesn’t recognize the number, but when she reads it, the sender is obvious.

 

_I’m sorry for going off the grid, but there have been a number of emergencies requiring my attention. I’ll be in touch when I can._

 

And that’s it; there’s no offer of getting together at some point, no words of affection, not even a statement that he misses her. If they had fought, or even had a disagreement, Pepper might understand.

 

Instead, she’s left with the assumption that Phil decided that a relationship is too much work. She wouldn’t even blame him for such a conclusion if he’d just _talked to her_ about it.

 

Pepper sighs and tucks her phone away, deciding not to respond. She’s not the patron saint of lost causes, and she’s not a teenager anymore, chasing after a boy who won’t give her the time of day.

 

She has her work, and she has friends, and that will be enough.

 

~~~~~

 

Bruce puts a cup of coffee down next to Jennifer. “How’s it going?”

 

“It’s going,” Jennifer replies, taking a sip and offering a grateful smile. “Thanks.”

 

“Rome wasn’t built in a day,” Bruce says. “It might be wise to pace yourself.”

 

Jennifer shakes her head. “You’ve never seen me prepping for a case. This is nothing.”

 

Bruce shrugs. “I’m making dinner tonight, just so you know. You’re welcome to join us.”

 

“Yeah, sure,” Jennifer replies, already distracted by the data again. “I’d love dinner. Go, shoo. Go do some science or something.”

 

Bruce actually has a full day planned. He’s working on an article about the solar panels’ power efficiencies, Fitz has another rehab appointment, and he and Tony are still working on upgrading the Quinjet engines to maximize speed and distance in case the Avengers need to be on the other side of the world hastily.

 

He gets a few hours in, and then he meets Fitz in the lobby of the Tower. “You don’t have to take me,” Fitz says, his words clearer.

 

“I don’t,” Bruce agrees. “The better question is whether or not it helps you to have me there. If you don’t want me there, I’ll have Ms. Green drive you.”

 

Fitz shakes his head. “No, I just don’t—” He stops. “I don’t—you’re busy.”

 

“I have some reading to do while I wait,” Bruce says gently. “I don’t mind, and you’re not putting me out.”

 

Fitz gives a jerky nod.

 

Bruce puts a hand on his shoulder and squeezes gently. “Come on, Leo.”

 

Fitz’s version of aphasia means he understands most things that he did prior to his near death experience, but he can’t find the words to respond. His fine motor control is also impaired, but it’s improving after several weeks of intensive therapy. Maybe not as quickly as Fitz would like, but he _is_ getting better.

 

He just wishes that the rest of Fitz’s team would reach out to him. As far as Bruce knows, only Coulson has been in contact, and only sporadically.

 

Bruce stays in the waiting room and reads while Fitz is in with the occupational and speech therapists.

 

He’s not paying much attention until someone turns up the volume on the TV in the waiting room, and Bruce stiffens when he hears Pym’s voice. “At long last, we can announce the unveiling of Ultron, an artificial intelligence capable of responding to all threats, both foreign and domestic. Ultron is one of its kind, capable of making independent decisions and judgments. It’s a new day in defense.”

 

There are only a couple of other people in the waiting room, both of them watching the news with frowns on their faces. Bruce doesn’t care for Pym, mostly because Pym seems to have a hatred for all things Stark.

 

A man like Pym could do a lot of good in the world, but all Bruce sees is Pym taking potshots at Tony and Stark Industries. No matter how much good Tony does, no matter how much good SI does, Pym can’t help but run Tony down.

 

And with the way Pym has been talking about the Avengers lately, it makes sense that he’d create something to replace them.

 

Hell, if this means that Bruce never has to transform, he might have to send Pym a fruit basket, but that doesn’t mean Bruce is comfortable with the idea of an AI making decisions.

 

As Bruce knows from Jarvis, AIs are only as good as their maker.

 

When his phone rings, Bruce isn’t surprised to see that Tony is calling him. “Why didn’t _I_ think of that?” Tony demands. “I’m the one at the forefront of artificial intelligence.”

 

“Because building a giant robot and placing it under the control of the military is a dumb idea?” Bruce suggests. “And you aren’t dumb?”

 

“Oh, god, you’re right,” Tony replies. “I’m a fucking genius, and we still haven’t rooted out all the idiots. Good point.”

 

“Don’t get me wrong,” Bruce insists. “If it’s successful and I never have to transform again, I’ll send him a fruit basket.”

 

“Channeling your inner evil stepmother with poisoned apples?”

 

“No, of course not,” Bruce replies. “Don’t be ridiculous.”

 

“Hey, I know you hate that guy.”

 

“I really do.” Bruce glances up as Fitz enters the waiting room. “Fitz is done. I have to go.”

 

“See you soon,” Tony replies and hangs up. Since that’s about as polite as Tony gets on the phone, Bruce knows it’s love.

 

“Ready to go?” Bruce asks.

 

Fitz nods. “I am.”

 

Bruce smiles encouragingly. “Great. How did it go?”

 

At first, Bruce thinks that Fitz will offer a nonverbal answer, but Fitz straightens his shoulders. “It went—well.”

 

“Good, I’m glad to hear it,” Bruce replies. “What do you want for dinner tonight? I’ll cook.”

 

“Um.” Fitz clearly struggles with finding the right words. “Um. That—that thing you made, with the um, sauce.”

 

“Sure, the curry,” Bruce supplies, like it’s no big deal.

 

Fitz breathes out a sigh of relief. “Curry. With beef. It was—the red curry.”

 

“Sure, I made that last week, right?” Bruce agrees. “I think I have everything I need on hand. I was hoping you might help Jennifer this afternoon. She has a couple of leads to follow in the data from SHIELD.”

 

Fitz shrugs, but doesn’t argue. Bruce knows that Jen will treat him kindly, and that staying busy will help. The more interaction Fitz has with others who don’t make too many demands, but who still help him practice his verbal skills, the quicker he’ll recover.

 

Maybe it’s for the best that Fitz is spending the first part of his recovery with them. Not only does he have access to the best therapists, but he and Tony won’t treat him any differently than they always have.

 

He deposits Fitz with Jennifer then goes in search of his husband.

 

Who is in the Penthouse with a drink in hand, watching a replay of Pym’s press conference, with Matty taking notes, and Aaron lounging sullenly. Since sullen is Aaron’s default state, Bruce doesn’t read too much into that.

 

“Aaron, I believe you have that project to work on,” Bruce suggests.

 

Aaron gets to his feet. “I thought this was more important.”

 

“Data entry is more important at the moment,” Bruce counters. “And I suggest that you put a bug in Jennifer’s ear. Tell her and Fitz that we should see if SHIELD has any dirt on Pym.”

 

Aaron goes willingly enough, and Matty waits until the elevator doors have closed to ask, “He isn’t giving you any problems, is he?”

 

“Not at all,” Bruce replies. “Just the usual teenage attitude, but he’s been working hard. He can be as annoyed with me as he’d like.”

 

“He hasn’t been disrespectful?” Matty asks.

 

“No, not at all,” Bruce replies. “Just sullen and quiet. I figure we’ll break him out of that eventually.”

 

“Or we won’t,” Tony points out. “But I was sullen and quiet around my parents until—well. I’m sure he’ll grow out of it eventually.”

 

Bruce knows that Tony blames himself at least in part for his rocky relationship with his parents, but Tony couldn’t have known his parents were going to die so soon and so suddenly.

 

There are certain things you can’t predict, you can’t guard against, and you can’t change. Having an abusive alcoholic father who killed your mother was an example; Tony’s parents dying in a car wreck is another.

 

Matty, who knows the basics about both of their pasts, grimaces sympathetically. “Thanks. I appreciate you guys giving him something to do that will keep him busy. He might not say as much, but he does understand the importance of this work.”

 

“So, let’s talk about Pym,” Tony says. “How much fallout can we expect?”

 

Matty shrugs. “How much? I don’t know yet. Ultron is untested, but given Jennifer’s lawsuit, and the fall of SHIELD? He’s offering an alternative, mostly to the people who believe in good, old-fashioned law and order. They’re the ones who are going to see the clean energy deal as a bunch of liberal bullshit. They don’t trust the fact that you’re a gay couple.”

 

Bruce makes a noise in protest, but when Matty starts to apologize, Bruce cuts him off. “No, you’re absolutely right. I thought our Navarro videos were really good press.”

 

“It’s great press,” Matty assures him. “Miriam is the best ambassador you could hope for in the marriage of left meets right. If it comes down to that, it might provide a buffer.”

 

“But?” Tony presses.

 

“But nothing,” Matty replies. “Everything is up in the air at the moment. We won’t know more until we know what Ultron is going to look like.”

 

Tony takes a sip of his drink. “We can afford to wait. We’ll keep looking for dirt on Pym, and digging into SHIELD’s files, and we’ll keep an eye on Ultron while doing some damage control.”

 

Matty nods. “We need good publicity, and not just the two of you, but the rest of the Avengers. That means the basic rigmarole for famous people: visiting children’s hospitals, performing charitable works, being willing to provide autographs, all of it.”

 

“Me, Steve, and Bruce won’t be a problem,” Tony says. “Thor will need to be coached, but some appearances will probably be fun for him. Clint and Natasha are out of it. Natasha is pursuing a few leads of her own, and Clint is taking a breather.”

 

“You three are arguably the most important,” Matty says. “But it’s hard to hate people visiting sick kids in the hospital. Good publicity is going to be key to get out ahead of this.”

 

“That and proving that Ultron is going to destroy us all,” Tony jokes.

 

Bruce glares at him. “Don’t do that. You’re jinxing us.”

 

Tony waves a hand. “I’m just saying, this is like the thing with the tesseract. Everybody knows my work on artificial intelligence is probably the best in the world. Pym can’t say the same. He was always more interested in biochem.”

 

“Could he be using biochem as part of Ultron?” Matty asks.

 

Bruce grimaces. “I would hope not. That would likely mean biological warfare.”

 

“Or just creating a body that can change, or that’s close to human,” Tony suggests. “I mean, if I were going to create a form for Jarvis to inhabit for some reason, that’s what I would do.”

 

Bruce gives Tony a look. “You just came up with that.”

 

“You know, if I had to give him a body,” Tony replies with a shrug. “Sometimes I think about these things.”

 

Bruce smiles. “I know you do. So, we garner some good publicity and keep an eye on Pym.”

 

“While we start going after Hydra,” Tony says. “We’re putting together lists of targets, and we can’t afford to just let Hydra sit around being evil.”

 

Bruce sighs and runs a hand through his hair. “No rest for the wicked, I get it.”

 

“Back to the grind,” Tony agrees.

 

~~~~~

 

Tony glances around the room, and he has to admit that he’s rather pleased to see the entire team gathered, including Thor. After three months of work, they finally have a roadmap for dealing with Hydra. “All right, Jennifer, show us what you’ve got.”

 

Jennifer takes a deep breath. “Right. We know that Hydra has been infiltrating SHIELD since day one. As I was going through the data, I realized that we have several competing and intersecting priorities. First priority, tracking down and dismantling Hydra. We know they have various bases.”

 

“Agreed,” Steve replies. “Natasha’s made some progress on that front.”

 

“Right,” Jennifer agrees. “I’m adding that into my analysis. Second problem is one that Thor brought up, which is that SHIELD was the repository for a lot of devices, including Loki’s scepter, and we don’t have a current inventory. I’ve reached out to Coulson, but he has his hands full at the moment, although he’s feeding us whatever data he can.”

 

“The scepter must be considered a priority,” Thor rumbles. “In the wrong hands, it could do grave damage.”

 

“I’ll second that,” Clint gripes. “How did we even lose it?”

 

“We don’t _know_ that it’s lost,” Jennifer replies. “But it’s a good bet. Third, and finally, SHIELD had a number of super-powered people locked up, and we know that most of them have been released.”

 

Steve leans forward. “Let’s table that for now. They might decide to lie low and start a new life. If they start something, we’ll deal with them then.”

 

“Very mature of you, Steve,” Tony replies. “It seems to me, that being the case, we can kill two birds with one stone. If we’re tracking Hydra, we’re also tracking the cool shit they stole.”

 

Jennifer nods. “Some locations are more obvious than others. Fitz and I have been able to locate two of the more obvious ones that we think are mainly being used for research and development. The likelihood that some of those toys are there is pretty high.”

 

“Great work,” Steve says. “Really great work.”

 

Jennifer blushes. “Thanks.”

 

“Threat assessment for both locations?” Clint asks.

 

Jennifer pulls up a map, and Maria Hill quietly enters the conference room. Technically, she’s working as a security consultant for Stark Industries. In reality, Tony is paying her to do her own thing and manage SHIELD assets if the Avengers require an assist. He asked her to come to this meeting just in case.

 

“The location in Colorado is isolated, and would be perfect if they were doing dangerous research,” Jennifer says. “It’s nearly inaccessible, which means they could have secreted some serious toys there.”

 

“Toys and people,” Hill says from the back of the room. “That’s not a location known to me, which means it probably wasn’t on Fury’s radar either.”

 

Jennifer nods. “I’ve mainly been focusing on buried data, so that would make sense.”

 

“What’s the second location?” Natasha asks.

 

“We have to go a little farther afield for that one,” Jennifer replies. “There’s a location in northern Canada, even more isolated, and possibly abandoned at this point. We have no way of knowing for sure without additional recon. The data from the Colorado site is newer.”

 

“Let’s go with the Colorado site then,” Steve says. “We’ll take a limited number of people. Bruce, no offense, but I think you should probably sit this one out.”

 

“None taken,” Bruce says immediately. “I’m happy to mind the fort.”

 

Steve nods. “Tony, I’d like you to go but hang back until we have some intel on the site. Clint, Natasha, I’d like you two to take point. Jennifer, we’re going to need you eventually, but I’d like you to stick with the data for now. This was really good work.”

 

Jennifer beams. “Thank you!”

 

Tony plans on letting the rest of the team go ahead. He can fly out just as quickly as the Quinjet in his suit, and he has to give the rest of the team some time for recon.

 

Bruce has already headed back to the lab when Tony finishes discussing the plan with Steve and the others, and Tony finds him there in quiet conversation with Aaron. The kid’s work looks a lot more like high school physics than anything Bruce has asked him to do, but they had mostly taken him on as a favor to Matty.

 

Then again, Tony watches Bruce come alive around Aaron, giving him gentle direction. Tony suspects that Bruce had been an excellent professor; in another world, in another time, he would have probably been one of those entries on “my hot professor” lists.

 

“Okay, but I don’t understand how this equation describes the reflection properties,” Aaron says. “I mean, I get the reflection itself, but—”

 

“Look here,” Bruce says, pointing at a variable on the smart screen. “You see, this describes the angle.”

 

Aaron frowns. “No, I don’t understand.”

 

Bruce launches into an explanation, enlisting Jarvis to provide visual aids, and Tony knows the exact moment that Aaron gets it. His eyes light up, and he begins manipulating the aid himself.

 

“Precisely!” Bruce says, clapping Aaron on the shoulder. “Well done.”

 

Aaron flushes, and Tony can suddenly see the hallmarks of a crush—one of those ridiculously one-sided crushes that just about any adolescent has for a safe option.

 

Hell, Tony can’t blame him. When in the middle of teaching, passionate and excited about his subject, hands flying and expression animated, Bruce is absolutely magnetic.

 

“Hey,” Tony says, and watches Aaron’s flush deepen.

 

Just the corner of Bruce’s mouth flickers, and Tony can tell that Bruce knows all about Aaron’s crush and is being kind—which gets Tony hot. “Hey, there,” Bruce says. “Taking off soon?”

 

“That’s the plan,” Tony replies. “What are you guys working on?”

 

Bruce rolls his eyes, and Tony knows him well enough to know he’s thinking “as if you didn’t know.” “Physics homework,” Bruce replies. “Aaron’s physics teacher apparently can’t teach his way out of a wet paper sack.”

 

“Well, I wouldn’t say that _exactly_ ,” Aaron hedges.

 

“I would,” Bruce says dryly. “I’m googling your teacher, by the way. I’m not saying that I plan on getting him fired, but this isn’t difficult to teach.”

 

“If you’re a gifted teacher,” Tony feels compelled to point out. “Which you are. Maybe Aaron should get you invited to his school as a guest lecturer.”

 

Aaron brightens. “Oh, man, that would be amazing!”

 

Bruce sighs. “I will add that to my growing list of things to do. Although it would be ideal for spotting bright young minds that we want to recruit.”

 

“I could put in a few words with my physics teacher,” Aaron suggests. “It would be really cool. You explain why physics matters better than anybody I’ve ever met.”’

 

Tony grins proudly. “That’s my husband.”

 

“Seriously, doc,” Aaron presses. “You could come talk to my class, and it would be awesome.”

 

Bruce’s face softens. “Yeah, sure. You clear it, and I’d be happy to.”

 

“Doc, you have no idea how awesome this is,” Aaron gushes. “If people see hard evidence that I’m friends with an Avenger, no one will mess with me!”

 

Bruce winces, but he says, “I’m happy to help.”

 

Aaron’s face falls. “That sounded really shitty. I promise, I’m not using you! I never would have asked if—”

 

Bruce pats him on the shoulder. “I never thought that for a moment, Aaron. You’re fine.”

 

“It’s just that this job is _so cool_ , but Matty said I couldn’t talk about it, and I get that, but—”

 

“Aaron,” Bruce says, stopping him. “I was your age once. If I had a job with the Avengers, I’d want to brag about it, too. And I suspect that you don’t think anybody would believe you.”

 

Aaron shrugs. “They might since they’ve seen Matty on the news.”

 

“But objective proof is what makes physics work,” Bruce replies. “So, talk to your teacher, and I’d be happy to talk about why physics is important.”

 

“And with that, I have to go,” Tony says. “I’ve given the others enough lead time. Don’t have too much fun without me.”

 

He gives Bruce a hard, quick kiss, and then heads to the roof. The suit forms around him, and he heads for Colorado with Jarvis as his copilot. Tony lands just behind the Quinjet, but he stays by the transportation until Steve is ready for him.

 

The coms tell Tony that Clint and Natasha are already in the complex, and Steve is stationed just outside. Tony checks in with the others, but maintains the perimeter.

 

The base has a skeleton crew, clearly just there to stand guard over the remaining servers, research, and a few broken odds and ends. Tony isn’t even needed, except to clone the hard drives and figure out which items should be packed up and investigated further.

 

Tony is a little disappointed, to be honest. He’d been hoping for a fight, or at least something more interesting than a server farm—even if the data ends up being helpful in the long run.

 

“Does it strike you as odd that there weren’t more people there?” Tony asks, having decided to travel with the rest of the team back to the Tower.

 

“It tells me that Hydra knows they’re being hunted, and are taking pains not to be caught,” Natasha replies on the flight back. “They have to know we’re going after them. Pierce’s original plan might have failed, but that doesn’t mean Hydra doesn’t have goals.”

 

“And what would those goals be?” Tony asks.

 

“Same as they always were,” Steve replies grimly. “To amass power and information. We can’t be sure that we located all of the upper level players.”

 

“I think we can count on that,” Clint says. “No one would have pegged Pierce for being anything other than what everybody thought he was. Even Fury was fooled.”

 

Tony grimaces. “They got Stern, but it’s hard to say how many other politicians they have in their pockets.”

 

“Hell, they got the Vice President, assuming that AIM was related,” Clint points out.

 

“We haven’t ruled it out,” Tony says. “Killian didn’t have any ties to Hydra that we could find, but that doesn’t mean they aren’t there.”

 

“Doesn’t that beg the question of what other pies Hydra has their fingers in?” Steve says.

 

Tony frowns. “That it does.”

 

~~~~~

 

Pepper glances up from her work to see her secretary in the doorway. “Yes, Sarah?”

 

“Marta Adenauer is here to see you,” she replies. “She said to apologize for not making an appointment, but it’s important.”

 

Pepper frowns. “Please, show her in.”

 

She and Marta have struck up a tentative friendship over the last couple of years, but that doesn’t extend to surprising each other in the middle of the day at their places of employment.

 

The fact that Marta enters and closes the door behind her and immediately asks, “How paranoid are you about office security?”

 

“Me?” Pepper asks. “Not very. Tony and Bruce are paranoid enough for the three of us, and they take care of that sort of thing.”

 

Marta nods, a smile lightening her expression. “Ultron is a problem.”

 

“Well, I can’t say that it thrills me.”

 

“It’s more than that, Pepper,” Marta replies. “Ultron is an artificial intelligence that can learn and adjust its response.”

 

Pepper nods. “Tony has been working on AIs with that capacity for a number of years.”

 

“But Mr. Stark’s version of a threat, and Pym’s version, are two very different things,” Marta replies. “Pym views the Avengers as a threat, and the military has a rather dim view of SHIELD at the moment. A computer, even an intelligent computer, can only work with the data it’s given.”

           

Pepper realizes what she’s saying. “And if it’s given bad data—”

 

“Bad outcomes,” Marta agrees. “Now, I don’t believe the bad press about Stark or the Avengers; I remember what they did in New York, and how they rescued the president, and prevented a worse tragedy from occurring in D.C. But they are now an independent entity, and Bruce and Tony especially are shaking up the status quo.”

 

Pepper takes a deep breath. “Okay, I’ll pass this information along. I’m not sure what they’ll be able to do with it, though.”

 

“Maybe nothing, but forewarned is forearmed,” Marta says philosophically. “And the easiest way for me to warn them is to warn you.”

 

“I appreciate it,” Pepper replies. “I’ll pass the word along.”

 

Marta nods. “Thank you. And I want you to know that I’m not just telling you about this because Pym and I have competed for defense contracts in the past.”

 

“You won the contract on body armor,” Pepper replies. “Handily, from what I understand.”

 

“We offered a better product for less money,” Marta says. “But there have been other contracts that Pym was awarded that we wanted, including this contract that he was awarded for Ultron. Our idea was a little different. One has nothing to do with the other.”

 

Pepper nods. “It’s not about jealousy.”

 

Marta smiles. “You understand then.”

 

“Well enough,” Pepper replies. “And I know you don’t issue warnings lightly.”

 

“I don’t,” Marta agrees. Pepper stands when Marta does and shakes her hand. “Take care.”

 

“You, too,” Pepper replies.

 

Once Marta has left, Pepper calls Tony and gets his voicemail. “I’m heading your way tomorrow. I’d appreciate you clearing some time in your schedule for me.”

 

She tries Phil next, and she gets his voicemail as well. “Phil, I’m not calling for personal reasons. It’s national security, and I have inside information.”

 

Pepper is seriously put out with him, but she still cares about Phil, and she doesn’t want anything to happen to him.

 

But Pepper has resources of her own, contacts that she’s been cultivating for years, ever since her days as Tony’s assistant. She’s not above doing her own footwork, not when it might save lives.

 

~~~~~

 

Jennifer has never had a high-tech setup, used to working mostly with paper files. Most of the places she’d worked as a law clerk then as an attorney still used paper, largely because the majority of the senior partners preferred hard copies.

 

Tony scoffs at paper, though, and Bruce has adapted. The smart boards give data the illusion of physical form, which allows Jennifer to sort them the way she’d organize evidence in a file.

 

As she started going through it, she immediately began to sort things out by categories: operatives, targets, scientific pursuits, potential threats, and those in power that might have been turned but they don’t know about yet.

 

Jennifer has the list of targets Hydra had slated for the first wave of killings, and she’s started doing deep background research on them—or having Jarvis do it. If she knows why they were targeted, she can start researching others who would be in the same category, and why they weren’t on the list, too.

 

It’s like building a court case, but Jennifer is building one against Hydra, and she’s having a hell of a time doing so. This case might be the most important one of her career.

 

“You really like this sort of thing, don’t you?”

 

The voice startles her, and she turns to see Sam in the doorway. “Oh, hey.”

 

“Hey,” he replies with an easy grin. “You enjoy this?”

 

Jennifer shrugs. “I mean, it’s been a few years since I didn’t have a law clerk or junior associate doing the basic legwork for me, but yeah. My whole job as a lawyer was going over the evidence again and again, looking for anything the other side missed, whether that was evidence or case law.”

 

“And this is the same thing,” Sam says.

 

“But with higher stakes,” Jennifer replies. “This time, instead of saving a life, I might end up saving the world. What are you doing here?”

 

“I have an appointment to see your cousin-in-law,” Sam replies. “About the new wings? Jarvis let me in.”

 

Jennifer smiles. “Yeah, sure. Let me just save this and show you to Tony’s lab.”

 

“I’m early,” Sam replies. “I was kind of hoping to see you.”

 

Jennifer has been seeing Sam sporadically over the past few months, but she’s been busy with work that feels pressing, and he had to move and get settled. But mostly, Jennifer isn’t quite sure that she wants a relationship at the moment.

 

“Well, you’re in luck,” she says brightly. She knows Sam is good at reading people, but she’s either as good of an actress as she thinks she is, or Sam decides not to call her on it. “I would love a cup of coffee, and I know where Tony keeps the good stuff.”

 

“Coffee would be great,” Sam replies. “I won’t ask how you’ve been, because you look as happy as—” He stop. “Uh, forget it.”

 

Jennifer has heard the expression before. “As a pig in mud?”

 

“Or as a cat with a canary,” Sam replies with a slightly sheepish smile. “A really sleek cat with gorgeous green eyes.”

 

Jennifer is charmed in spite of herself. “You like cats?”

 

“More of a dog person, really, but I had this cat when I was a kid,” Sam confesses. “A stray I ended up feeding that stuck around. He probably wasn’t feral, because after a few weeks, he’d come up to me any time I left the house, demanding to be petted.”

 

Jennifer raises her eyebrows. “Okay?”

 

“The affection I got from that cat was freely given,” Sam says. “He didn’t need my affection, but he chose me, and that was a compliment.”

 

She blinks. “Ah, well, I think you found a very discerning cat.”

 

Sam’s grin goes shy and sweet. “I like to think so.”

 

Jennifer does, indeed, know where Tony keeps the good coffee, and she rewards Sam with a cup of the finest brew. “So, how have you been?”

 

“Good,” Sam replies. “I’m still settling in, and frankly, I’m looking forward to seeing what Tony came up with. The idea that Iron Man is designing my next set of wings? Pretty awesome.”

 

“Just be careful that he doesn’t go overboard on you,” Jennifer warns. “Tony can get a little carried away. He’ll say that he’s going to be reasonable, and the next thing you know, it’s an entire suit of armor, so watch him like a hawk.” And then she grins at her own pun, however unintended.

 

That draws a chuckle out of him, and suddenly they’re both back to their easy camaraderie, pleased at the company they’re keeping, and Jennifer figures they just need to spend more time together.

 

“I’ll keep that in mind,” Sam promises.

 

They spend the rest of the hour chatting about the impossibility of finding decent housing in the city. They make plans to grab dinner, and then she escorts him to Tony’s workshop.

 

“Good to see you,” Tony says, shaking Sam’s hand. “I have a prototype ready.”

 

Jennifer grins. “Sam, I leave you in very capable hands. Remember what I said.”

 

She goes back to work, but her concentration has been broken. She’d been in the zone before, and now she’s not.

 

“I really hate coffee breaks,” Jennifer mutters, and decides to spread the misery around. Bruce is probably due for a break, and she’s hungry, especially after talking about food.

 

Bruce glances up at her when she enters, and says, “You have that look that promises trouble.”

 

“I’m hungry!” Jennifer protests. “And it’s lunch time, and I need food, and so do you, so I figure we either make it, or we hit up a food truck and leave everybody else to their own devices.”

 

Bruce grins. “The second option. I could stand to get some exercise.”

 

Jennifer checks her go-to app for food truck locations and finds a place that sells gua bao within walking distance, and she happily points them in that direction. Bruce, because he’s widely traveled and is _awesome_ , knows exactly what it is and is excited about the option.

 

“Oh, god,” Bruce moans as he bites into his crispy pork belly bao. “This is so good.”

 

Jennifer grins happily and tastes her spicy chicken. “Yeah, isn’t it great?”

 

“And I didn’t have to cook it,” Bruce says. “We should drag Steve out sometime. I think he still has a few things to check off his bucket list.”

 

Jennifer smiles. “So, you like Steve now?”

 

“I’ve never _not_ liked him,” Bruce protests. “Tony and I have a complicated relationship with him for very understandable reasons, but I think it would do us all good to get along, and, well, food.”

 

Jennifer grins. “The way to a man’s heart is through his stomach?”

 

“Hey, I fed Tony for months and got a marriage proposal,” Bruce points out. “It happens.”

 

She nudges him with her elbow. “Do not involve me in your negotiations for an open marriage.”

 

Bruce barks a laugh and elbows her sharply. “Stop it. That’s not it, and you know it. How are you? How’s Sam?”

 

Jennifer hesitates. “We’re okay. I think we’re back to where we were before, anyway.”

 

“You want to tell me what happened?” Bruce invites. “I promise I won’t overreact.”

 

“When I was having a hard time deciding whether to come to you, I talked to Sam,” Jennifer admits. “He gave me a verbal kick in the ass, which was not out of bounds, but wasn’t what I wanted at the time.”

 

Bruce grimaces. “He acted like the friend you needed to kick your ass rather than the boyfriend you wanted to hold your hand.”

 

“I’m pretty sure I wouldn’t have loved it if my friend kicked my ass, but yeah, pretty much,” Jen replies. “Sam and I don’t know each other that well, and he figured it out after the fact. We’re okay.”

 

“You’re sure I don’t need to kick his ass?” Bruce asks.

 

Jennifer laughs, but she doesn’t want Bruce taking a disliking to Sam. “No, we’re good. It was the push I needed to talk to you guys, and I love what I’m doing right now.”

 

Bruce wraps an arm around her shoulders. “As long as you’re happy, Jen.”

 

And she really is.

 

~~~~~

 

Bruce pokes his head into Tony’s lab. “Hey, Pepper’s here.”

 

Tony waves a hand. “You can talk to her and fill me in later.”

 

“Pepper specifically asked for you, Tony,” Bruce reminds him. “And it’s Pepper. Don’t make me pull out the big guns.”

 

“And what are those big guns?” Tony asks, stepping back from the data, which is at least promising.

 

Bruce smirks. “No sex?”

 

“How masochistic of you, Dr. Banner,” Tony replies.

 

“Not really,” Bruce replies. “But I think I can probably handle the deprivation better than you can.”

 

Tony’s eyes narrow. “You want to put that to the test?”

 

“Do you?” Bruce knows how to call a bluff, and he keeps his gaze steady and the smirk on his face.

 

Tony sighs. “Not particularly. That’s one bet that makes losers out of both of us. Okay, let’s go.”

 

Bruce counts that as a win, and they head up to the Penthouse where Pepper is waiting for them.

 

“You wanted to see us?” Tony asks.

 

“I had a visit from a friend of mine who has defense contracts, and she raised some concerns about Pym’s Ultron,” Pepper says. “I did some asking around with my own contacts, and they agree: Pym and the Department of Defense aren’t big fans of the Avengers, and you guys might end up in the crosshairs.”

 

“We’re aware,” Tony says. “I know what happens when the government dips into a pool that I’m the undisputed king of: shit goes down.”

 

“And what do we do?” Bruce asks. “Until Pym comes after us in a way that isn’t verbal, there’s really nothing we can take objection to,” Bruce says reasonably. “We’re in the business of saving the world, and Pym says he wants the same thing.”

 

“He thinks the Avengers are one of the things he needs to save the world from,” Pepper says sharply. “Look, I trust Marta, and I trust my contacts. They tell me that we should be worried.”

 

Tony clears his throat. “I _am_ worried, Pep. I have Jarvis keeping an eye on things, but I’ll tweak the search parameters.”

 

She lets out a deep breath. “Okay, that’s good.”

 

“It’s not that we’re happy with the situation,” Bruce assures her. “But we can hardly call him out.”

 

“Bruce is right,” Tony says almost apologetically. “Like I said, we can keep a sharp eye out, and I’ll bring it up with the others.”

 

Pepper sighs. “Fair enough. We so rarely get advanced warning, and I want to take advantage of it.”

 

“It’s appreciated, Pepper,” Bruce says. “I can talk with Jen. We discussed looking into Pym, but it hasn’t been a priority.”

 

“I think you’d better make it one,” Pepper replies. “Because Marta seems to think that SHIELD and the Avengers are high on Pym’s list of targets.”

 

Tony nods. “We’ll look into it.”

 

“Stay for dinner tonight,” Bruce urges. “Take some time to relax. We have no idea what the next few days will bring.”

 

Frankly, Bruce thinks it’s going to be more than a few days or weeks, or even months. Pym is going to be a problem, and the fact that he seems to have the US military on his side is an even bigger problem.

 

They’ve faced plenty of enemies, but this one feels bigger to Bruce. This is the military, the government, and as comfortable as Bruce’s life is, as much as he loves it, there’s still some small part of him that doesn’t believe he deserves to have it.

 

It’s the same part that’s convinced someone will come along to take it away, and there won’t be a damn thing he can do to stop it.

 

Pepper smiles. “I’ll do that,” and then she determinedly changes the subject to Fitz and how his therapy is coming along, and how Jennifer is settling in with her new job. They’re old friends at this point, with lives that intertwine, and plenty to talk about.

 

“Thank you,” Pepper says after dinner, giving Bruce a brief, hard hug. “I had no idea how badly I needed that.”

 

Tony had just ducked out to take a phone call from Rhodes, leaving Bruce to walk her out.

 

“It was my pleasure,” Bruce replies. “You know that. Any time you need a little breathing room, you know where to come.”

 

Some complicated mix of emotions crosses her face. “I’ll probably take you up on that.”

 

“Are you okay?” Bruce asks. “This seems to have shaken you up more than usual.”

 

Pepper sighs. “Yes, well, this isn’t exactly my area of expertise. I can run Stark Industries, and I can spot market trends, and I can delegate with the best of them, but I can’t protect my friends, and I can’t—”

 

She stops, and Bruce realizes that she’s getting teary-eyed and choked up, and he pulls her in for another hug. “Is this about Phil?”

 

“Partly,” she admits. “I really like him, and I feel like we’ve broken up but without actually breaking up.”

 

“And you’re wondering how many other things are going to break that you can’t fix,” Bruce says.

 

Pepper nods against his shoulder. “Pym and Ultron and Phil and Fitz—I know there are things that break, but I’m used to being able to fix them.”

 

“We’re all a little broken,” Bruce reassures her. “And maybe right now Phil just needs to figure out how to put the pieces of himself back together before he can be with anybody.”

 

“Was it that way for you?” Pepper asks.

 

“I had five years of running before I found someone I couldn’t run away from,” Bruce replies. “And then three months of being stuck in the same place with Tony before I realized I didn’t _need_ to run, not from him.”

 

Pepper gives him another hard squeeze. “You’re a good friend, Bruce.”

 

“It’s nice to have friends again,” he admits.

 

Pepper at least seems a little steadier when she leaves, and Bruce wonders what it is about him that tends to pull those sorts of confessions out of people. He heads down to the lab to check on Tony and finds him staring off into space.

 

“Was Rhodes okay?” Bruce asks.

 

Tony starts. “Huh? Oh, yeah, he’s fine. He’s…” Tony rubs his eyes. “He wants to see me as soon as possible, and he wants to keep it on the down low.”

 

“That’s okay, right?” Bruce queries.

 

Tony shakes his head. “I don’t know. Given Pepper’s friend’s warning, and now this…I just don’t know.”

 

“When are you going to see him?” Bruce asks.

 

“Day after tomorrow,” Tony replies. “I’m sure it will be fine.”

 

But that’s something that Bruce isn’t too sure about himself.

 

~~~~~

 

They’re having a good time with Pepper talking about recent projects when Jarvis announces that Rhodey is on the line. “He says it’s rather urgent, sir,” Jarvis says, almost apologetically.

 

Tony glances at Bruce and Pepper, and they both wave him on. “I should be going anyway,” Pepper says, bussing Tony’s cheek. “Tell Jim I said hi.”

 

Tony heads for the elevator. “I’ll take the call in my lab, J.”

 

Rhodey and Bruce are a lot easier in each other’s company these days, but Tony still feels awkward about crossing the streams as it were.

 

Rhodey’s face fills the screen as soon as Tony enters the lab. “Hey, long time no see,” Tony says cheerfully. “What can I do for you?”

 

“We need to meet,” Rhodey says bluntly. “And I can’t be seen with you right now, so we have to keep it quiet. Can you do that?”

 

Tony blinks, because that sounds incredibly serious, and it’s freaking him out a little bit. “Yeah, of course. Tell me where to meet you, and I’ll take the suit and leave it parked somewhere. No one will know I’m there.”

 

“Good, thanks,” Rhodey says. “You doing okay?”

 

And it’s solicitous and kind and very Rhodey-like to ask, but there seems to be a wealth of meaning there, too. “Yeah, I’m good. You?”

 

Rhodey’s lips quirk in a half-smile, and he says, “I’ll be better once I see you. I’ll text you the location. I have a couple of days leave coming up.”

 

And Tony likes the rest of the team, thinks of them like family, but Rhodey is his oldest, dearest friend, and that conversation just reminded him of how much distance there is these days.

 

Bruce startles him when he asks if Rhodey was okay, and Tony answers as honestly as he can.

 

“Is there something else bothering you?” Bruce asks.

 

“He was my best friend, and I can’t remember the last time I had a drink with him,” Tony replies. “And now he doesn’t want to be seen in public with me.”

 

“I don’t think that’s it.” Bruce wraps an arm around his shoulders anyway. “I just think we’re persona non grata with the military these days. Maybe Rhodes _can’t_ be seen with you.”

 

Tony pulls back and looks into Bruce’s steady, kind face. “Promise me that we’re always going to be solid.”

 

Bruce smiles, and there’s a hint of sadness there, but he says, “I promise that I will always have your back.”

 

That night, they don’t do anything other than curl around each other in bed, and Tony wants nothing more than to stay here forever, sheltered and sheltering.

 

The next day brings more bad news.

 

Tony stares at the screen, seeing the data scrolling past. “This is—fuck.”

 

“I did an analysis,” Jennifer says. “I have a buddy in the prosecutor’s office that brought the case against Hammer, and he provided me with the information I needed to compare.”

 

“What did you find out?” Bruce asks.

 

“The materials Hammer was using to create his robot army pales in comparison to what Pym’s using,” Jennifer replies. “And that includes both metal and components necessary for advanced robotics. Granted, Hammer was rushing things for the exhibition, but that doesn’t mean anything good.”

 

“So, he’s building an actual army,” Tony mutters. “And there’s nothing we can do about it.”

 

“I don’t think so, no,” Jennifer admits. “He’ll say he’s trying to save the lives of American soldiers, and he’ll be branded a hero. If we come out against him, it’ll probably look like sour grapes, or maybe worse. Maybe it’ll bring the wrong kind of attention on us.”

 

“I can talk to Rhodey about it,” Tony offers. “Maybe he has some idea of what’s going on, and what the plan is.”

 

Bruce rubs his eyes. “I think the best we can do is to keep an eye on things. The Avengers have their hands full with Hydra at the moment. Tony, how are Sam’s wings coming along?”

 

“Should be done by the end of the week,” Tony replies. “I’ve got a few other things in the works, too.”

 

Uniforms, weapons, other tools of the trade—all of it for the team. About the only one left out is Thor, and that’s only because Tony hasn’t quite figured out how to improve on what’s already there, although maybe he will in time.

 

“Good,” Bruce replies. “I’m working on a few things as well. Once you’re back from seeing Rhodes, I think we should sit the whole team down and talk strategy.”

 

Tony agrees absently and goes to work on his other projects. He had promised Rhodey that he’d keep things quiet, and he does just that. Rhodey is apparently taking leave in Colorado, and he’d given Tony the location of a Mexican restaurant in Manitou Springs.

 

Tony flies in with the suit in stealth mode, parks in a quiet corner, and then puts on a baseball hat and sunglasses. He’s a few minutes late, so Rhodey is sure to be waiting for him, and sure enough, he has a booth in the corner.

 

“Hey,” Tony says, sliding in across from him. “For the record, the only people who know I’m here are Bruce and Jennifer.”

 

Rhodey’s smile is there and gone in a flash. “Thanks, Tony. I’m sorry for the cloak and dagger, but I’m actually under orders not to talk to you.”

 

That makes Tony feel a little better about Rhodey and not so good about the situation. For Rhodey to disobey a direct order, things would have to be bad. “Is this about Ultron?”

 

“Ultron and Pym,” Rhodey confirms, sliding a flash drive across the table. “That’s everything I could find, and giving it to you could be considered treason.”

 

Tony swallows. “Jim, what’s going on? I know things are a little strained between the Avengers and the military, especially with the lawsuit, but—”

 

“The lawsuit is going away,” Rhodey interrupts him. “You’ll probably find out in the next few days, but it’s being dismissed.”

 

Tony blinks. “How do you know that?”

 

“Look, Tone,” and Rhodey’s voice goes low and soft as he leans over the table. “The military wants something—someone—they can control, and Pym is giving that to them. Everybody knows the Avengers are focusing on Hydra right now, and they’re probably going to let you clean up that mess, and then they’re going to find a way to shut you down.”

 

“What do you mean ‘shut us down?’” Tony demands, but he keeps it quiet.

 

“They’ll make up an excuse,” Rhodey replies. “Ross’s star is on the rise again. The military wants weapons.”

 

“We’re not weapons, we’re people,” Tony argues.

 

“I _know_ that,” Rhodey replies. “Which is why I’m giving you this information, and why I’m warning you now. Ross is building a prison specifically to hold people like the Avengers; eventually, he’s going to have an excuse to put you there. And _that’s_ why I haven’t resigned my commission yet.”

 

Tony hears what he isn’t saying—that Rhodey is staying in so he can provide warning and cover if it comes down to it. “I think Bruce has a few contingency plans.”

 

Rhodey nods. “If anybody could keep you guys safe, it’s going to be Banner, but watch your back. Like it or not, you’re the main face of the Avengers. If they’re going to go after someone, it’s probably going to be you.”

 

Tony remembers Pierce’s list, and he knows Rhodey’s right. “I’ll be careful.”

 

“Do that,” Rhodey replies. “And you know I’ll do whatever I can for you.”

 

And Tony feels just a little bit better.

 

~~~~~

 

“So, this is everything Rhodes had on Ultron?” Bruce asks. He, Tony, and Jennifer have set up in Bruce’s lab, running through what intelligence Rhodes managed to gather.

 

“And on Ross and a few other tidbits on Pym,” Tony confirms. “It’s not as much information as I’d like, though.”

 

Jennifer blinks and points to a file. “Uh, guys, what’s that?”

 

Bruce clicks on it, and there’s a highly redacted document. “It looks like mission parameters for Ultron.”

 

Jennifer zooms in. “No, this, right here. This is exactly the same language that Project Insight used.”

 

“Oh, shit,” Tony mutters. “You’re right. What if…” He trails off and pulls up another document, and Bruce realizes that they have a massive problem.

 

“Pym based Ultron’s programming on Project Insight,” Bruce says. “He used a program designed _by Hydra_ as his base code.”

 

Tony runs a hand through his hair. “Yeah, that’s exactly what he did.”

 

“What does that mean?” Jennifer asks. “I mean, I know it’s bad, but what does it mean for us?”

 

“It means that it’s entirely possible that Ultron will respond in a way that would be exactly what Hydra wants,” Tony replies. “And it means that we may be looking at a situation where there’s a computer program doing what those helicarriers were meant to do.”

 

“You do realize that this ties Ultron to Hydra, at least partially,” Jennifer points out. “Shouldn’t we warn someone?”

 

“We’re going to need more than base coding for that,” Bruce says. “I think we’re going to need to look under the hood.”

 

Tony nods. “We’re going to need a hacker for that. We can’t ask Rhodey without putting him at even greater risk.”

 

“I’ll talk to Hill,” Bruce replies. “She might know of someone who can be trusted for this sort of job.”

 

“I’ll keep looking for connections,” Jennifer offers. “Maybe there’s something in the information Colonel Rhodes gave us that will help.”

 

“Do that,” Bruce replies. “Let us know what you find, if anything.”

 

They retreat to Tony’s workshop, and Tony says, “I think it’s all connected.”

 

“What’s connected?” Bruce asks.

 

“Look, I’m not saying that Pym is Hydra, but it’s possible that Hydra subverted him without him even knowing about it,” Tony argues. “They could have planted the idea of Ultron in his head, or even offered him the job.”

 

“We have no way of proving that,” Bruce replies. “Not that I disagree with you.”

 

“We have to find the connection,” Tony says. “We have to figure out where Pym is in all of this, and we have to know if Ultron is a Hydra plot.”

 

“Agreed,” Bruce replies. “But I’m not sure how we’re going to do that.”

 

Tony shrugs. “I think we keep chipping away at Hydra, and digging into information on Ultron and Pym. What else can we do?”

 

“Come here,” Bruce replies, and he pulls Tony in for a hug. “Have you heard anything else from Rhodes?”

 

Tony shakes his head. “No, which is probably a good thing. No news is good news. I just—he’s risking his career for me.”

 

“He’s your best friend,” Bruce says.

 

“Have you told Jennifer about the lawsuit yet?” Tony asks.

 

Bruce shakes his head. “No. She’s going to be pissed and hurt, and I know what Rhodes said, but until it’s actually dead…”

 

“There’s no sense in courting trouble?” Tony prompts.

 

“Yeah, something like that,” Bruce replies.

 

“I should get going,” Tony says. “I still have a bunch to do.”

 

Bruce kisses him gently. “Yeah, me too.”

 

He’s diligently working on a project for SI when Jennifer storms into his lab. “Did you know?”

 

“Tony told you?”

 

“No, I got an email saying that our case had been dismissed!” Jennifer snaps, righteous fury pouring off her. “What do you mean about Tony?”

 

“Rhodes told him that the case would be dismissed,” Bruce replies wearily.

 

Jennifer frowns. “What about Ross?”

 

“His star is on the rise again,” Bruce replies. “Sometimes, there isn’t much justice in this world.”

 

“That’s why we have to _make_ it,” Jennifer insists. “Bruce, am I stupid? Should I let this go?”

 

“You’re not stupid,” Bruce insists. “But yeah, I think we have to let this go, Jen. The military has it out for us. I think we have to bide our time.”

 

Jennifer hugs him. “At least we have our team,” she whispers fiercely. “At least we have that much.”

 

~~~~~

 

Jennifer is still looking for information on Bucky Barnes as part of her search for relevant information on Hydra, partly out of a desire to help Steve find his friend, and partly because she thinks it’s important to know where an asset like Barnes is. He’s not a top priority, but Jennifer is still looking.

 

Jennifer has also found some rather interesting information on Pym in the old files, and she now has some idea of why he’d hated Howard Stark so much.

 

As far as she can tell, neither Howard nor Pym was Hydra. They might both be grade-A assholes, but it seems their mutual hatred was rooted in philosophical differences around what SHIELD ought to be, rather than actually being on opposite sides.

 

And then she finds a video file. No, she finds _the_ video file.

 

At first, Jennifer doesn’t know what she’s seeing. It’s clearly a staged car accident with an assassin on a motorcycle. Obviously, it’s a tragedy, but Jennifer doesn’t quite understand what it’s doing in SHIELD’s encrypted files.

 

The date on the video is familiar, though, and not just because it’s the day before Bruce’s birthday, which is why it stuck in her head.

 

“Okay, okay,” Jennifer mutters, pulling up the spreadsheet she’s using to keep track of important dates and events in a timeline of Hydra. “December 16, 1991, is—oh, shit.”

 

She goes back to the video, her stomach churning with anxiety. “Please let this not be what I think it is.”

 

It’s _exactly_ what she thinks it is, and she pages Bruce. “I need you here _now_.”

 

Bruce comes in at a run. “What’s wrong? Are you okay?”

 

“Watch this,” she replies and presses play.

 

Bruce fumbles his glasses into place and rewinds it, peering at the screen. “Isn’t this Barnes?”

 

“It is,” Jennifer replies. “I mean, we knew Barnes was an assassin, so it’s not a surprise, but—”

 

“This is the date that Tony’s parents died,” Bruce says flatly. “This is—fuck.”

 

“That’s what I said,” Jennifer replies. “Although not in those exact words.”

 

“Does Steve know?” Bruce demands.

 

Jennifer blows out a breath. “I don’t know. Maybe. And if he knows, I’m pretty sure Natasha does, too.”

 

“Tony is going to flip his lid when he sees this,” Bruce mutters.

 

“Do we have to tell him?” Jennifer asks, without much hope of hiding this from Tony. She knows Bruce is right, and if they keep this a secret, it will irreparably damage their relationship.

 

Bruce gives her a dirty look. “Wouldn’t you want to know if it was your parents?”

 

“Yes, but maybe we should get Steve to tell him,” Jennifer argues. “Tony isn’t going to be happy that Steve hid this if he did.”

 

“Maybe so, but it wouldn’t have been that long since Steve found out, right?” Bruce asks. “And that’s between them. I don’t want this to come between _us_.”

 

Jennifer sighs. “Look, you take this to Tony, and I’ll call Steve and give him a heads up. It’s probably better to get it sorted out now.”

 

“And it’s probably better to address it before Steve actually manages to track down Barnes,” Bruce says. “Call Steve. Tell him that he’d better get his ass over here immediately. I’ll try to make sure Tony’s unarmed when Steve shows up.”

 

“Do you really think Tony would hurt him?” Jennifer asks.

 

Bruce shrugs. “Probably not, but I wouldn’t bet on him not shooting Barnes when he gets the chance.”

 

“I guess Tony’s that much more likely to want to track Barnes down,” Jennifer says. “Which is going to present some issues.”

 

“Let me handle Tony,” Bruce replies. “You get Steve here.”

 

He loads the video on a thumb drive and Jennifer pulls out her cell phone, watching as Bruce stalks out, tension in every line of his back.

 

Steve doesn’t pick up, and Jennifer growls at her phone. She tries Sam next, and he answers right away. “Wilson.”

 

“Sam, it’s Jennifer,” she says. “Do you know where Steve is?”

 

“No, but he’s supposed to meet me for lunch,” Sam replies. “This sounds serious.”

 

“It is serious, and I need him here,” Jennifer replies. “It’s about Barnes, or more accurately, something we now know he did.”

 

Sam sounds confused when he asks, “What did he do? We know he did some bad things, Jen.”

 

“He ambushed and killed Tony’s parents,” Jennifer replies. “And I’m pretty sure Steve knew about it. Bruce is telling Tony now, and I think Steve might want to make an appearance to hash this out.”

 

“Shit, okay,” Sam says. “I’ll bring him by.”

 

“Tell him not to fuck this up, Sam,” Jennifer says. “The Avengers need to be a united front.”

 

“Agreed,” Sam replies.

 

Jennifer says her goodbyes and hangs up, staring at the still frame of the video where Bruce had paused it on Barnes’ face.

 

She saves her work and heads up to the Penthouse, ready to retreat if necessary. Tony is pacing, a drink in hand, and he turns to Jennifer as she steps out of the elevator. “Did you know?”

 

“No, of course not,” Jennifer replies. “I would have told you! I told you immediately when I saw the footage, or I had Bruce do it.”

 

Tony stares at the floor. “Okay, yes, I know. I’m sorry, it’s just that—Steve knew his friend killed my _mom_.”

 

“I don’t know for sure that he did,” Jennifer is quick to say. “I mean, I know when he probably would have found out, probably at the same time he found out about Zola.”

 

“Let’s give Steve the benefit of the doubt,” Bruce suggests. “I’m sure Jennifer’s gut is probably accurate, but we don’t know for sure. Maybe it will be as much of a surprise to him as it was to us.”

 

Tony throws back the rest of his drink. “Fine. I won’t jump down his throat. Yet.”

 

“I think I could use a drink, too,” Jennifer mutters.

 

Bruce pours her one and silently hands it over.

 

“Sam’s bringing him over,” Jennifer says. “They were meeting for lunch.”

 

“I’ll call for food,” Bruce says. “Things will look better with a good meal.”

 

Tony snorts. “Nothing is going to make this better, Bruce.”

 

“I know that,” Bruce replies, moving closer and puts a hand on the back of Tony’s neck. “Nothing is going to make this easier.”

 

“I mourned them,” Tony says, staring at the ice in his glass. “It was an accident. That’s what everybody said—that it was a car accident.”

 

Jennifer winces, realizing that Tony had just watched his mom get shot on tape. Well, both of his parents, but Tony’s daddy issues rival Bruce’s. Howard Stark helped found SHIELD, and his profession had been somewhat dangerous. Maria Stark hadn’t been part of the action.

 

“It makes sense that you wouldn’t have been told, though,” Bruce points out reasonably. “You didn’t know your dad helped found SHIELD until Fury told you. It probably made sense for him to hide their murders.”

 

“I get that!” Tony explodes. “But it’s my _mom_.”

 

“I know,” Bruce says, pulling him in for a hug. “I know.”

 

The elevator chimes, and Jennifer is a little surprised to see Natasha. “I was in the area,” she says. “I thought maybe I should be here for this.”

 

“Did you know?” Tony demands.

 

Bruce lets him go and begins calling for food.

 

“I knew,” Natasha replies. “Barnes was a ghost until Steve recognized him, Tony. We knew he racked up a lot of kills. I didn’t know that your parents were two of them until we ran into the shadow Zola.”

 

“And you didn’t tell me?” Tony demands.

 

“We were a little busy!” Natasha snaps.

 

“And it’s been months!” Tony responds.

 

Natasha throws up her hands. “And we’ve been busy!”

 

Bruce is looking a little green around the gills, so Jennifer steps in. “Natasha, Tony deserved to know. If Steve had found Barnes, and then Tony found out about this…”

 

Natasha sighs. “Tony, I am sorry. I wasn’t deliberately hiding this from you. It was just one piece of information amidst the flood we received.”

 

Jennifer can understand. It’s the kind of information that would be incredibly important to Tony, but not so much to Natasha or Steve.

 

Or, more accurately, it would have been important to Steve to keep it under wraps.

 

“Who called you?” Tony finally asks.

 

“Wilson,” Natasha admits. “I think he was a little worried you might hurt Steve.”

 

Tony shakes his head. “What a fucking mess.”

 

“Hey, come on, sit down,” Bruce cajoles, parking Tony on the couch and handing him a bottle of water. “Finish that, and you can have another drink.”

 

Jennifer can feel the tension in the room, but it’s a little less than what it was. Tony just looks quietly devastated, and Bruce perches next to him, a hand on Tony’s back. It’s pretty clear where his loyalties lie, not that anybody’s going to be surprised by that. Jennifer sits on Tony’s other side, figuring she can make a statement.

 

Not that she isn’t torn, because Steve is her friend, but Tony is _family_.

 

Natasha is texting, and Jennifer suspects that she’s warning Steve, although what she’s saying is anybody’s guess. Whatever she’s saying must be effective, because Steve and Sam show up about thirty minutes later.

 

Bruce’s hand stays on Tony’s shoulder, and Tony keeps his seat, in spite of the increased tension in his face and body. “Steve, take a seat,” Bruce says quietly. “Sam, good to see you again.”

 

Sam’s expression clearly says that he is not looking forward to what’s coming, but he says, “Good to see you, too, doc.”

 

“I’ve made a few improvements on your wings, Wilson,” Tony says. “I’ll need you to try them on, see if we need to make some additional adjustments.”

 

Steve clears his throat. “Tony.”

 

“Oh, are we talking now?” Tony asks. “I didn’t know, since you’re apparently withholding vital information.”

 

“It wasn’t vital,” Steve protests. “It was ancient history.”

 

Jennifer winces and sees Bruce do the same.

 

“The murder of my parents is no big deal and ancient history?” Tony snaps.

 

“Rogers, man,” Sam says quietly. “Come on.”

 

Steve’s jaw clenches. “I was going to tell you.”

 

“When?” Tony demands.

 

“At the right time.”

 

“When Jennifer stumbled across it?” Tony asks. “When one of our enemies did and sent me the video? When you finally found Barnes?”

 

Steve throws up his hands. “What if it were Bruce?”

 

“What?” Tony demands.  


“What if it were Bruce, and you knew someone used him against his will, and he hurt people, what would you do?” Steve asks.

 

“This is my mom! My parents!”

 

“Bucky is the last family I’ve got!” Steve gets right into Tony’s face. “Howard was my friend, and he helped me save Bucky’s life, and I know if he was in his right mind, Bucky would be sick over this. Just like I was when I realized what happened.”

 

Tony turns away, walking over to the windows. “So, what now?”

 

Steve opens his mouth and Bruce holds up a hand. “Right now, we have food coming. We’re going to sit down and have lunch together, and then Tony is going to show Sam the improvements on his wings, since he’s here, and I’m going to have a chat with Steve.”

 

Jennifer does _not_ want to be in Steve’s shoes. Sure, Bruce _seems_ mild-mannered, but when he pulls out the disappointed face, you do not want to be on the receiving end.

 

She can’t help the giggle that erupts, and everybody turns to look at her incredulously. “Sorry, it’s just—it looks like Bruce just got nominated to be Team Mom.”

 

Sam chokes on a laugh, Steve and Natasha’s lips twitch, and Tony actually barks out a laugh that has Bruce’s shoulders relaxing. “Seconded,” Tony says.

 

Bruce rolls his eyes. “You’re lucky I like you both.”

 

~~~~~

 

After a lunch from Bruce’s favorite Indian place—he feels like he deserves it after the bullshit he’s had to deal with, and will likely have to deal with yet—he brings Steve down to his lab.

 

Steve had been defensive with Tony, probably because he’d been at least partially in the wrong, but he doesn’t have that excuse with Bruce.

 

Bruce points at a stool. “Sit.”

 

Steve sits. “I was going to tell him.”

 

Bruce sighs. “Steve, you knew Jen was going through the data.”

 

“I was hoping to have a little more time,” Steve admits. “Figure out how to say it, how to convince Tony not to shoot him on sight if he did know.”

 

Bruce shakes his head. “Next time, you _come to me_. Do you understand?”

 

Steve glares. “Bruce—”

 

“No,” Bruce snaps. “You come to me. I can handle Tony, but we have to be able to trust each other, and right now, we don’t trust you.”

 

Steve rears back as though Bruce slapped him. “That’s not fair.”

 

“That’s how it feels,” Bruce replies.

 

Steve scrubs his hands over his face. “It’s not Bucky’s fault.”

 

“I know that,” Bruce replies. “Once Tony has a chance to stop and think, he’ll realize that as well. Right now, it’s not about fault, it’s about you not giving us information. What would have happened if someone had dropped that info on us during a battle? This was a potential _weakness_ , Steve. One that Hydra would probably love to exploit.”

 

Steve drops his head. “I know.”

 

Bruce keeps his tone conciliatory. “Steve, I have some idea of how you feel about Bucky. But you have to think like a soldier. We’re in a war. There may be some difficult decisions that we have to make. There might be choices that Tony has to make about me and our relationship, or that I have to make about Jen or Tony. Do you understand what I’m saying?”

 

Steve stares at him. “You’d sacrifice Tony for the greater good?”

 

“If I were in my right mind, yeah, I would,” Bruce replies. “He’d do the same, and if he didn’t, I’d expect you to give him a nudge in the right direction. But Steve, I have to know you’d make the same call. If you can’t do that, I can’t follow you.”

 

Steve looks stricken. “Bruce…”

 

“I mean it,” Bruce says, and he does. He has to trust that Steve will make the right decision, that he won’t put Barnes’ life above the rest of the team’s, that he can put personal feelings aside.

 

Because if Bruce is ready to sacrifice Tony’s life for the greater good, if he’s ready to sacrifice his own life, then he needs the same assurances from Steve.

 

“I watched him die,” Steve says helplessly. “And then I watched him kill one of my best friends, and he tried to kill me, and I don’t know what to do with that.”

 

Steve seems so impossibly young to him in that moment, and Bruce is reminded that he’s got a couple of decades on the man, no matter what the date on Steve’s birth certificate indicates.

 

“One of these days, when we find him, he’s going to need you,” Bruce says gently. “He’s going to need someone who can see the man he was and help him to see it, too. But your team needs you to _lead_ , Cap.” He reaches out and squeezes Steve’s shoulder. “And you might not be able to get your friend back.”

 

Steve nods tightly, just a quick jerk of the head, but Bruce doesn’t want to press him too much now.

 

“Just think about it,” Bruce urges.

 

“Sir,” Jarvis says. “I hate to interrupt, but there’s been a report of a major theft that poses a risk to your interests.”

 

Bruce exchanges an alarmed look with Steve. “Have you notified Tony and the others?”

 

“Everyone is gathering in the common room,” Jarvis replies, and Bruce and Steve hightail it to the elevators.

 

The news is already playing when they arrive, and Bruce frowns when he sees the location splashed across the bottom of the screen. “South Africa? Why does that sound familiar?”

 

“Klaue,” Tony says briefly. “And vibranium. They’re reporting the biggest theft of vibranium in history.”

 

“Who’s Clue-y?” Steve asks, sounding bewildered.

 

Bruce smiles briefly. “Ulysses Klaue, arms dealer. He had a stockpile of Tony’s weapons, and we’ve been keeping an eye on him.”

 

“Okay, so what does it mean that someone stole a bunch of vibranium?” Steve asks.

 

“Nothing good,” Natasha replies, her arms crossed tightly over her chest.

 

Steve shakes his head. “That’s what my shield is made out of, right?”

 

“And it’s one of the strongest metals known to man,” Tony replies. “The amount that was stolen—it’s not good.”

 

“Someone’s building something,” Bruce murmurs. “That’s the only reason for stealing that much.”

 

“More than something,” Tony replies. “Try an army of somethings.”

 

“An army of what?” Steve asks.

 

Tony looks at Bruce, and Bruce sighs. “We don’t know, but I think we’d better find out soon.”

 

Tony nods. “I’m going to call Rhodey. He may have some additional information.”

 

When he leaves the room, Hill is taking notes. “Let me make some phone calls.”

 

Bruce clears his throat. “I’m going to need that hacker, preferably soon.”

 

Hill looks up. “I know of someone. What if I could get her here?”

 

“I’d welcome the help,” Bruce replies. “Can she be trusted?”

 

“Coulson thinks so,” Hill replies.

 

Bruce rubs his forehead. “Okay, fine. I used to know a few people, but they’re long gone at this point.”

 

“You have worries about Coulson?” Hill asks.

 

“I have some concerns, but not about his loyalty,” Bruce replies. “If he vouches for someone, then I’m sure they’re okay.”

 

Hill smiles. “Is this about Fitz and Pepper?”

 

“Maybe a little,” Bruce admits.

 

“Coulson has been a little off lately, but May is keeping an eye on him,” Hill assures Bruce. “We aren’t going to let him go off the rails.”

 

Bruce gives her a dirty look. “Who says he hasn’t already?”

 

Hill shrugs. “Fucking up his personal life has always been a Phil Coulson specialty. He’s a good man, and a good friend, but his relationship with Pepper is the longest one on record.”

 

“I like Phil,” Bruce replies. “But Pepper is important to me, and so is Fitz.”

 

Hill raises her hands. “Well, I’m sure Phil will love to know that he’s now on your bad side.”

 

She almost sounds amused, and Bruce smirks. “Yeah, well, no one likes me when I’m angry.”

 

Steve gives him a curious look. “What’s the hacker for?”

 

“We have a warning from Rhodes that the military may be after us, as well as confirmation that Pym used the base code for Project Insight for Ultron,” Bruce replies. “We need information from Pym, and from the military, and we’re going to get it any way we can.”

 

Steve hesitates and then nods. “Agreed. We can’t afford to stay on the defensive.”


	3. Chapter 3

Pepper often turns on the news during her lunch hour, or when she has breaks between meetings. Today is no exception, and at first everything is normal. The stock market has made a few small gains, there’s a spree shooting in Colorado, and a cat saved her family from carbon monoxide poisoning. All in all, the usual mix of depressing and pleasant.

 

And then there’s the tone that precedes a breaking news bulletin.

 

“This just in,” the pretty blonde anchor says, setting aside her notes to look directly into the camera—although she’s likely either reading from a teleprompter or repeating whatever someone is saying directly into her ear. “There’s been a report of a major shipment from Adenauer Manufacturing being intercepted by an unknown group. So far, no known terrorist group has taken responsibility for the heist.”

 

Pepper frowns. Marta Adenauer is a friend, and Pepper knows she used to compete with Tony for defense contracts. Along with her plants in the States, she sells weapons to her own government in Germany as well.

 

There’s just something about the situation that feels wrong.

 

She calls Tony and isn’t surprised to get his to voicemail, so she tries Bruce. “Have you seen the news about the weapons going missing?” she asks as soon as he answers.

 

“Jarvis alerted us,” Bruce replies. “We’re doing looking into it, but without being invited to the table, it’s going to be hard to track down the thieves.”

 

Pepper sighs. “Okay, keep me in the loop, and make sure you fill Matty in, too.”

 

“Will do,” Bruce promises.

 

Pepper looks up and sees Phil Coulson standing in the doorway. “I have to call you back.”

 

“Yeah, sure,” Bruce replies, sounding distracted. “Talk to you later.”

 

She hangs up the phone, and with a few quick keystrokes, the large windows in her office go completely opaque, and the anti-spying measures activated.

 

Now that Phil is here, she has no idea what to say.

 

She’s angry, she’s hurt, but she knows he’s had his hands full. She wants to give him the benefit of the doubt as much as she wants to freeze him out. It’s been months, and while lengthy silences aren’t all that unusual with them, this was different.

 

Mostly because it hadn’t felt like Phil was too busy for her, but rather that he was breaking things off without actually saying as much.

 

“I’m sorry,” he finally says, breaking the silence. “I don’t have an excuse, so I won’t offer one.”

 

Pepper blows out a breath. “Okay. Do you have a reason?”

 

“I’m the director SHIELD, and I haven’t had time,” Phil replies. “And—there’s been some physical aftereffects from the process Fury used to save my life. I’m not exactly safe to be around.”

 

Pepper nods tightly. “And you couldn’t pick up the phone to tell me that?”

 

“I didn’t want anyone to know.” Phil stares at the ground. “Can I sit?”

 

Pepper waves him to a chair. “Of course.”

 

“I did get your message,” Phil says, and apparently he’s changing the subject now. “We know there are some concerns about Ultron.”

 

“I received a warning,” Pepper admits. “From someone I trust, and Rhodey warned Tony, too.”

 

“We’re keeping an eye on things,” Phil says. “But I’d appreciate any information you might have.”

 

“Of course.” She gives him a hard look. “So, we’re really not going to talk about this. You’re just going to let things end.”

 

“I don’t want to,” Phil replies, scrubbing a hand over his face. “But—I can’t always control myself, and I don’t want to hurt you.”

 

“I don’t even know what to say,” Pepper admits.

 

“This is why I waited so long,” Phil replies. “I didn’t want you to know what was going on, and then time had passed, and I didn’t know _what_ to say, or how to explain…”

 

When he trails off, Pepper says, “I think you’d better tell me what’s going on.”

 

“In order to—” Phil stops. “Pepper, I was dead. Fury used technology that I specifically asked he not use to bring me back, along with an experimental drug cocktail, and it’s causing some side effects.”

 

“What side effects?” Pepper presses.

 

“I’ve been carving symbols on walls,” Phil blurts out. “I can’t trust myself, even when I’m sleeping. Especially when I’m sleeping.”

 

Pepper has to admit that would frighten her as well, and she knows how much Phil likes maintaining control. It’s one of the reasons he rarely has more than a drink or two at once, and she can understand why Phil would want to hide it. “Who else have you told?”

 

“No one,” Phil replies. “I think May might suspect, but no one knows.”

 

Pepper feels marginally better. “Okay. I haven’t forgiven you, but I can understand why you might be worried.”

 

“That’s an understatement,” Phil admits.

 

“You have to see Leo,” Pepper insists. “He thinks you’ve abandoned him, that his whole team has, and I don’t blame him.”

 

“That’s a little more complicated,” Phil says. “Simmons has been undercover at Hydra. That’s why she hasn’t been in touch. And I knew Fitz would come back before he was ready if the rest of the team was in contact and he knew what was going on.”

 

“Bruce is going to kick your ass,” Pepper predicts. “And I’ll hold his jacket while he does.”

 

“Fair enough,” Phil replies. “Pepper—I know I fucked this up, and I really am sorry. But I can’t be in a relationship right now. I can’t handle one more thing on my plate.”

 

Pepper grimaces. “Right.” She’s just one more “thing” to him.

 

“That came out wrong.”

 

“Then maybe you should quit while you’re ahead,” Pepper replies.

 

Phil nods. “Right. I’ll—we’re going to be in the New York area soon, and I’ll stop in to see Leo then.”

 

“I’m sure he’ll appreciate that,” Pepper replies, getting to her feet.

 

Phil hasn’t lost his ability to read people, because he stands as well. “I _am_ sorry.”

 

“So am I,” Pepper admits. “Take care of yourself, Phil.”

 

And she knows it’s goodbye.

 

~~~~~

 

The next major theft occurs a week after the first, but this time it’s a bioengineering company, and the only reason Bruce knows about it is because he’s been communicating with Dr. Cho in a professional capacity.

 

“Are you sure that’s all they got?” Bruce asks her when she joins him for their regular call.

 

“No, I’m not certain,” she says, frustrated. “Although I’m sure we’ll find out when whoever stole the formulas puts them out on the market. My greater concern is that while the polymer’s primary use is beneficial, it could be corrupted.”

 

Bruce nods, thinking of about half a dozen ways the formula could actually be used for harm and not good. “Well, I’m sorry to hear about it.”

 

He signs off the call and goes to find Tony to inform him. “Do you think the two are related?” Tony asks.

 

“I don’t know,” Bruce admits. “The weapons and vibranium are fairly obvious, but the polymer… I don’t know.”

 

“I guess we’ll just keep an eye out,” Tony replies. “Okay, what’s on the agenda for today?”

 

“Jennifer is still running down data, and she’s roped Aaron in to help her,” Bruce replies. “I’ve off loaded a few more projects to my assistants, so things are looking good there. Fitz is taking another look at his little droids, so he’s occupied, and you and I have a visit to a local children’s hospital this afternoon.”

 

Tony raises his eyebrows. “We do?”

 

“Part of Matty’s push for good press for the Avengers,” Bruce replies. “He thinks we need to be seen as a pro-social group, unlike Hydra.”

 

“I would think taking down Hydra and being real live superheroes would be enough,” Tony says.

 

Bruce gives him a look. “I know you understand optics, so I’m not going to explain it to you.”

 

Tony grins and kisses him. “There was a time when I would have said you didn’t understand optics.”

 

“I always understood that sort of thing,” Bruce says. “It’s just that I didn’t think there was a way to change people’s perception of me.”

 

“Bruce, unless people actually see you transform, they’re not going to believe you’re the Hulk, even after that Senate hearing,” Tony points out. “You’re the personification of an absent-minded professor, only not so absent-minded. And don’t tell me you haven’t cultivated that image.”

 

Bruce smirks. “Well, yes, but it’s not all an act.”

 

“No, you’re a lot snarkier than most people realize,” Tony points out. “And I like it.”

 

“Good thing, since you’re stuck with me,” Bruce replies. “Anyway, we need to leave in about an hour.”

 

Tony finishes off his coffee. “I can think of a few things we could do in an hour.”

 

“I have reports to get through, and so do you,” Bruce points out. “The Quinjet plans were due yesterday.”

 

“I’ve been a little busy,” Tony defends. “And why are you on my case about this instead of Pepper?”

 

“Because Pepper is going through her own shit right now, and I’m trying to pick up the slack,” Bruce replies.

 

Tony frowns and shakes his head. “Okay, I know things have been rocky with Agent Coulson, but—”

 

“They broke up,” Bruce says, a little surprised that Pepper hadn’t told Tony herself, but then maybe she figured Bruce would tell him. He doesn’t blame her for not wanting to talk about it, and the only reason he knows is that she notified him that Coulson would probably be in contact with Fitz soon.

 

And it’s only the fact that Bruce knows Pepper so well that he’d been able to tell how upset she was.

 

“Well, I figured,” Tony says. “Let me guess, it has something to do with ‘protecting’ her.”

 

“She didn’t say, but I think it’s a safe bet,” Bruce agrees.

 

“Was she upset?”

 

“I think she was hoping for an outcome other than Coulson showing up and announcing that it was over without even a discussion,” Bruce replies. “So, yeah, I’m nagging you so Pepper doesn’t have to. We need those Quinjet plans if we want the improved model for our assault on Sokovia.”

 

Tony holds up his hands. “Okay, okay. I’m going.” He pauses for one more kiss. “See you in an hour.”

 

Bruce gets through two of the five reports when Jarvis says, “Agent Coulson has arrived, Dr. Banner. Mr. Fitz has invited him in.”

 

“Has he expressed a preference for my presence?” Bruce asks.

 

“He requested privacy.”

 

“Give it to him, and have Director Coulson join me before he leaves.”

 

“Of course, sir.”

 

Bruce rubs his eyes, wondering how upset Fitz is going to be after this, but this is one more thing that he has to let play out.

 

About ten minutes before they’re due to leave, Coulson appears in Bruce’s lab. “Fitz told me that he’s finished the majority of his rehab, and he can complete the rest of it on his own.”

 

Bruce nods. “That’s true, and it’s up to Fitz, but I’m probably going to get very angry if you take him with you only to abandon him again.”

 

“I knew we didn’t have the resources to help him recover,” Phil replies.

 

“And you basically disappeared on him for the last few months,” Bruce snaps. “You want to tell me where the rest of the team was? Or at least tell me that you told Fitz.”

 

“Dr. Simmons has been undercover in a Hydra lab,” Coulson admits.

 

Bruce closes his eyes and pinches the bridge of his nose.

 

“Hey, stop pissing off my husband,” Tony says, and Bruce feels Tony’s familiar touch on his shoulder. “You should know better.”

 

“He sent Jemma undercover at Hydra.” Bruce wrestles his anger under control. “Do you need our assistance?”

 

“No, we have someone in place to watch her back, and you know Simmons wanted to do fieldwork,” Coulson replies. “But I need Fitz back.”

 

Bruce nods. “We have somewhere to be, but I’d like the chance to say goodbye.”

 

“He’ll need time to pack,” Coulson says. “I told him I’d pick him up tomorrow.”

 

“We’ll see you then,” Tony says. “Up and at ‘em, Big Guy. We don’t want to disappoint the kids.” He hustles Bruce out of the room. “Also, I’m pretty sure you shouldn’t punch him in the face.”

 

“I wasn’t going to punch him,” Bruce mutters.

 

“I wouldn’t have blamed you if you had,” Tony replies. “But you can always do that if Jemma gets hurt.”

 

Bruce sighs. “Let’s hope it doesn’t come to that.”

 

~~~~~

 

Matty meets them at the hospital, along with a few reporters, and Tony enjoys it more than he expects. The kids are thrilled to meet them, asking questions about the other Avengers, and the aliens, and even Navarro.

 

Tony and Bruce sign a bunch of autographs, pose for pictures, and pass out toys—including Avenger bears. The green Hulk bears in their purple shorts are adorable, and Tony makes a note to snag one for himself.

 

“I can’t believe they made teddy bears in our likeness,” Bruce says as they leave the hospital.

 

Matty grins. “They’re a top seller. The sales numbers indicate that most people buy an Iron Man bear at the same time they buy a Hulk bear.”

 

Bruce groans. “Seriously?”

 

“It’s a love story for the ages,” Matty teases. “And as you just saw, you’re both very popular with the kids.” He hesitates. “It also may wind up baiting Pym. I’ve noticed an uptick in his making disparaging remarks about the two of you right after good press.”

 

“So, this was a ploy to draw Pym out?” Tony asks.

 

Matty shakes his head, climbing into the limousine after them. “No, this is a multi-purpose visit, not a ploy. First, you guys just made some sick kids very happy. Second, you get good publicity and remind everybody that you’re decent people. If Pym wants to respond to any of that, it’s on him, and it just looks like sour grapes.”

 

Fitz is waiting for them when they reach the Penthouse, looking nervous. “Hey.”

 

“Director Coulson said you were taking off,” Bruce says gently, sitting down next to him. “Are you ready to go back?”

 

“I’m ready,” Fitz says. “It’s not—I’m grateful.”

 

“You’re family, Leo,” Bruce insists. “You always have a place here.”

 

“I won’t forget.” Leo hugs Bruce awkwardly, and Tony is fascinated once again at how Bruce is this deceptively sweet, snarky guy who can level entire cities.

 

“You take care of yourself,” Bruce murmurs, “and if anything goes sideways, you know we’re a phone call away.”

 

“I do,” Fitz replies. “Tony, thank you, too.”

 

Tony has been trying to get Fitz to use his first name for years now, and he smiles and squeezes Fitz’s shoulder. “Any time, kid.”

 

“I still have to pack,” Fitz says. “So, I should go do that.”

 

“We’ll see you in the morning for breakfast before you leave,” Bruce promises. “I still have a few things I have to get done.”

 

Tony knows Bruce has trouble with goodbyes, and he doesn’t blame the man for wanting to retreat and lick his wounds. He still needs to finalize the Quinjet plans; he has some design tweaks to finalize, and the engines aren’t as efficient as he’d like. He needs to finish the quarterly report on the arc reactor in Navarro, since he won’t let anybody other than Bruce look under the hood, and Bruce has enough to do.

 

And really, all Tony wants to do is grab Bruce and take him to bed, forget the rest of the world exists, and let them all go hang. A few years ago, he would have done just that, but it seems he’s transformed into a responsible adult.

 

Tony pulls up the plans for the Quinjet, since that’s his most pressing issue, and he doesn’t want to piss off Pepper when she’s already having a bad time. He’s an asshole, but not that much of an asshole.

 

He sends the finalized plans to the production department, then pulls together the report for Navarro. His estimates are that they still have at least two years before any of the parts need to be replaced, and everything is humming right along. That report doesn’t take long.

 

Tony amuses himself by bringing up the designs for the Avengers’ uniforms. Not for Cap or Thor, of course, but for Clint and Natasha, and then some better uniforms for Jennifer and Bruce.

 

If he uses Fitz and Simmons’ plans for the cloth, he can give them both something a little better than underwear.

 

And then, of course, there’s the matter of Wilson’s wings, although he’s already handed over the first set he created. Tony has plans to include a few toys, though, and some additional bells and whistles.

 

Steve might be the leader of the Avengers, but Tony is bankrolling them, and he’s providing the necessary tools. And if his tools aren’t up to snuff, his friends—his family—could end up hurt or dead.

 

Tony has to get this right, and he realizes there’s someone else he should check in on.

 

When Rhodey picks up, he says, “This had better be a secure line.”

 

“As secure as I know how to make it,” Tony replies. “We know about the theft in Korea, you know. Bruce has a working relationship with Dr. Cho. Pepper is friends with Marta Adenauer, Ulysses Klaue had a bunch of my weapons—you see what this looks like.”

 

“Ultron is loose,” Rhodey admits. “I don’t know how, or where, but I know that Ultron isn’t the protection Pym promised. You can’t count on the military. Right now, they’re thinking they can get Ultron under control, rope it in.”

 

“What about Pym?” Tony asks.

 

“Locked up tight in a safe house, because Ultron has attempted to kill him a couple of times,” Rhodey admits.

 

“How?”

 

“Electrocution,” Rhodey replies, “with a side of attempted murder by carbon monoxide poisoning. We can’t be sure it was Ultron, but it seems a little too pat.”

 

Tony thinks about that and has to agree. “Yeah, okay. We can work with that. Do you know if it’s software only, or is there hardware?”

 

“Supercomputer mainframe,” Rhodey replies. “More like Jarvis than an actual robot.”

 

“Where did the murder attempts occur? Same location or different ones?”

 

“Different,” Rhodey replies. “And I see what you’re asking. Ultron is embedded in our computers. Pym has been trying to isolate Ultron, but no joy so far. And before you say it, yeah, it’s stupid that they haven’t called you in for this.”

 

Tony narrows his eyes. “We can get around _that_.”

 

“Be careful,” Rhodey warns him. “Pym hates you, probably more than you know.”

 

Tony highly doubts that. He knows just how Pym feels about his dad, and by association, Tony, the rest of the Avengers, and SHIELD. “We’ll be ready.”

 

They don’t have much of a choice, after all.

 

~~~~~

 

Jennifer leans back, watching as Sam and Steve debate tactics for going after Hydra, and where Hydra might strike next. Jennifer has been learning a lot about strategy just from listening, and she’s making her own notes, waiting for a break in the conversation to interject.

 

“They’ve been going after weapons, mostly.”

 

The unfamiliar female voice has them all turning to the door, Steve’s hand going for the shield sitting on the floor, propped against the table leg. Bruce is escorting Fitz and a young woman who looks like she’s in her early twenties.

 

“Fitz!” Jennifer calls. “I didn’t think I’d see you again so soon.”

 

She gives him a hug, which he returns awkwardly. “Hey, Jen.”

 

“You’re looking good,” she says. “How are you doing?”

 

Fitz glances at the girl. “Good.”

 

He sounds a little hesitant about that, and the girl doesn’t hesitate to rub Fitz’s shoulder in a friendly gesture. “Fitz wanted to drop in on his friends,” she explains. “I’m Skye.”

 

“I’m sorry, where are my manners?” Bruce asks. “Steve Rogers, Sam Wilson, Jennifer Walters, this is Skye. And this is Leo Fitz, for those of you who haven’t met him before.”

 

“I take it this is our hacker,” Jennifer says, looking at Skye. “Nice to meet you.”

 

Skye shakes the hand Jennifer offers. “Big fan of your work.”

 

Jennifer raises her eyebrows. “Seriously?”

 

“I’ve been following powered people for a while now,” Skye replies, and her ready smile falters just a bit. “But um, where do you want me to start?”

 

“Tony’s going to be here in a few minutes, and we can get started then,” Bruce says. “He’s got information from Colonel Rhodes.”

 

“I’m not—not going to be much help,” Fitz says.

 

“Nonsense,” Steve says immediately. “Have a seat. I remember how you came up with that solution for tracking Bruce. That was you, Leo.”

 

Skye shoots Steve a look that’s pure adoration when a pleased, shy grin crosses Fitz’s face, and even Bruce’s expression relaxes into a smile.

 

Jennifer spent enough time with Fitz before his injury to know that he’s changed slightly, but she’s also spent enough time with him since to know that he’s made a remarkable recovery. With a little patience, he comes up with the right answers just fine.

 

And Steve and Sam tuck Fitz between the two of them like a couple of gigantic bodyguards, and Fitz flushes right to his roots.

 

“Okay, what did I miss?” Tony asks, strolling off the elevator. “Other than my husband.”

 

He pauses for a quick kiss, taking over the room as he always does. Bruce indulges him, but then says, “Tony, do you want to say hello to the hacker we special ordered?”

 

Tony slaps himself on the forehead. “I’d ask where my manners had gone, but I think the more pertinent question is where is the romance?”

 

“The romance has been sublimated to the demands of the murderous robot that Pym set on us,” Bruce replies wryly. “So, Ultron? And Tony Stark, this is Skye.”

 

Tony raises an eyebrow. “Like Madonna? One name?”

 

“The only name I need,” Skye replies, but there’s a tightness around her eyes that suggests she’s not taking Tony’s ribbing well.

 

Bruce frowns. “Tony. Don’t be an ass.”

 

Tony appears affronted for a moment, and then he seems to see what Bruce and Jennifer already do, and he grimaces. “Sorry. That was too personal for a first meeting. Call me Tony, we’ll both go with the one name.”

 

Skye shrugs, a smile ticking up one corner of her mouth. “That’s okay. I was warned that you could be kind of a dick.”

 

“I warned her,” Fitz murmurs.

 

That breaks the tension, and Tony grins quickly. “Fair enough. Now, let’s talk about Ultron. It’s not pretty. Jarvis, did you get the information from Rhodey?”

 

“Indeed, sir,” Jarvis replies.

 

“This is what we have on Ultron and Pym,” Tony says, getting down to business and beginning to lay everything out.

 

Jennifer doesn’t like what she’s hearing. The military is actively looking for an excuse to bring the Avengers down, Ultron is out of control, there’s a lot of missing weapons and vibranium, and no one is asking two of the smartest guys on the planet for help.

 

“What do you need from me?” Skye asks.

 

“Two things,” Tony replies. “First, we need to hack Pym. We need as much information as we can get on Ultron. Then we need to hack the Pentagon and get as much information from _them_ as we can.”

 

Skye’s nodding. “Okay, I get it, and I’m down, but I doubt I have your skills.”

 

Tony’s lips twitch. “Yes, well, my talents lie in other areas. I can write a plug and play program to build a backdoor with the best of them. I’m not quite as good at the kind of hacking I’m asking you to do, and I don’t have the time to get up to speed.”

 

Skye cracks her knuckles. “I’m your woman. If you don’t mind, I’d suggest going for the Pentagon first. Pym created Ultron, which means there’s probably more information there, but if Ultron is as intelligent as Pym said on the news, then he’s probably booby-trapped it.”

 

“Pentagon first,” Tony agrees. “What do you need from me?”

 

“Coffee, a computer, an internet connection, the usual,” Skye replies. “Maybe some food eventually.”

 

“Dr. Banner makes really good food,” Fitz volunteers, and Jennifer notices that his words are coming easier around friends.

 

“What do you want to eat, Fitz?” Bruce asks. “I’ll see if we have what we need, and then I can make a grocery run if I need to.”

 

Fitz hesitates, then glances at Skye. “Lasagna okay?”

 

“Yeah, sure,” Skye replies. “I figure you’re the expert.”

 

Steve grins. “You’re in for a treat.”

 

Bruce glances at his watch. “Should be plenty of time. Have fun, guys.”

 

“Fitz, you know where everything is, you can get Skye situated,” Tony says and jogs out after Bruce.

 

Jennifer isn’t surprised when Tony follows him out, but Skye says, “It’s like, two. I thought Mr. Stark would want to be here for this.”

 

“Yeah, well, they’ve got enough time for a grocery order and a quickie before Bruce starts cooking,” Jennifer points out. “And we’ve been really busy, so chances are good that it’s a sex break.”

 

Steve groans. “Really?”

 

“Just calling it like it is,” Jennifer replies innocently. “I know they say marriage kills the sex drive, but my cousin gives me hope.”

 

Skye gets a speculative look on her face, while the others wrinkle their noses. “I always thought the two of them were kind of hot together,” Skye comments. “Lead on, Fitz.”

 

Fitz looks thrilled to be of use, and leads Skye out. “I’m going to supervise,” Jennifer says. “And I’m going to check on Fitz.”

 

Fitz has taken Skye to the workstation he used while he was recuperating, which makes sense since he’d be comfortable there.

 

“Can I help?” Fitz asks.

 

Skye hesitates. “Maybe. Give me a few minutes to find out what I’m looking at.”

 

“Hey, Fitz, maybe we can grab something to drink. Skye, coffee?” Jennifer asks.

 

“Yeah, coffee would be great,” Skye says. “Thanks, guys.”

 

“Let’s make a fresh pot,” Jennifer suggests. “I could use a pick-me-up.”

 

Fitz follows somewhat reluctantly, and Jennifer says, “Talk to me, Leo. We’re buds. I’m glad you’re here, but I didn’t think you’d be back so soon.”

 

He shrugs. “I needed a break.”

 

He’s more relaxed with her, because they are friends, and there’s no pressure. “How’s Jemma?” she asks.

 

His jaw tightens. “She’s okay.”

 

“She’s back from her assignment?”

 

Fitz nods tightly.

 

“Let me guess, she’s having a little trouble accepting that you’ve changed,” Jennifer says gently as she scoops coffee into the filter.

 

A jerk of his head suggests she’s on the right track.

 

“Do you have anybody who’s on your side and watching your back?” Jennifer asks.

 

“Mack and Skye.”

 

“That’s the important thing, then,” Jennifer says. “And if you don’t want to go back, you don’t have to. You can stay here.”

 

Fitz shakes his head. “I want to be with my team. I—I want to be—” He hits his forehead, and Jennifer takes his hand, holding it gently in her own.

 

“Hey, come on,” Jennifer says. “I know things seem really shitty right now, but you have people who care about you, and who will take you any way they can get you, Leo.”

 

Fitz nods, the faintest glimmer of humor in his eyes. “Okay.”

 

“Good.” Jennifer puts her arm around his shoulders. “Good call on the lasagna, by the way. I was craving it.”

 

Fitz smiles. “Me too. I miss Bruce’s cooking.”

 

~~~~~

 

Bruce isn’t surprised when Tony catches up to him and quickly whispers, “You got time for a quickie?”

 

“Probably,” Bruce replies. “As long as it’s quick, but what about Skye? I thought you’d want to get her settled, see what she can do.”

 

“I do, which is why we’re going to jack each other off, and I’m going to check on them while you cook,” Tony replies. “We’ll be done in fifteen minutes. It’s been _days_.”

 

Bruce shakes his head, but he’s never had much luck telling Tony no, and this situation is no different. Besides, it has been days and Bruce is horny. “Yeah, okay. Bring your A game.”

 

They have privacy in Tony’s lab with the door locked and windows opaque, and Tony knows Bruce well enough to do exactly as he promised. It’s quick and dirty, Tony jacking both of them off at once while Bruce grips his hips.

 

Tony manages to catch most of their semen in his hand, and then goes to rinse it off in the sink. “Bruce. This is going to get bad.”

 

“I know.” Bruce sighs. “Tony, I think we might all be making some decisions we never thought we’d make before all of this is over.”

 

“Is that what you were reading Steve the riot act over?” Tony asks. “Jarvis filled me in.”

 

“I was honest with him,” Bruce replies. “I can’t follow him if I can’t trust him.”

 

Tony’s eyebrows go straight up. “You _said_ that?”

 

Bruce shrugs. “It’s the truth.”

 

People often forget that Bruce has a ruthless streak, something he’s not entirely proud of but serves a purpose.

 

Tony gives him a hard kiss. “Thanks for defending my honor.”

 

“We’re all going to need clear heads to deal with this,” Bruce replies. “Now, go. See if Skye needs any help. I have work to do.”

 

“You certainly do,” Tony replies, and this time his kiss is a little more lingering. “See you later.”

 

Bruce is grateful for the chance to putter in the kitchen, to make something complicated and involved that requires the majority of his attention. The problem of Ultron is percolating in the back of his mind, but Bruce has never pretended to be a tactician.

 

He makes a list of the things they need and decides to walk to the market to clear his head. Bruce isn’t thinking about his surroundings, too used to being safe and not on the run, when something hits him in the chest. He has just enough time to realize that it was a bullet, and then he’s lost in a green haze.

 

~~~~~

 

“Code green!” Jarvis says, sounding about as worried and panicked as an AI can.

 

Skye’s head comes up. “What’s that?”

 

“Nothing good,” Tony snaps in reply. “Jarvis, I need Veronica, and get Barton on the line. Find out if he’s close enough to help. Does Jennifer know?”

 

“She’s already on her way to Dr. Banner’s location,” Jarvis replies. “Agent Barton is also en route. He says he has what you need, but it will be thirty minutes.”

 

Tony tries not to think about all the damage Bruce can do in that amount of time. Rather, what the _Hulk_ can do. Bruce is never going to forgive himself if he hurts someone.

 

He activates one of the heavy-duty suits as soon as he’s in the Penthouse, and it forms around him just before he launches himself off the roof.

 

“I’m on coms,” Steve says. “So is Sam. We might be able to get a dose to Bruce a little faster if you have it on hand.”

 

“Jarvis, pass that information along to Cap. I need a location on Bruce!” Tony says.

 

“Fifth and 79th,” Jarvis replies. “I believe Ms. Walters is nearly there and is going to lure them into the park.”

 

“Damage report,” Tony says, heading in that direction. “Where’s Veronica?”

 

“Two seconds,” Jarvis replies. “My estimate is that Veronica will slow the Hulk down, but it won’t stop him.”

 

“We just need him tied up long enough to prevent him from hurting anybody,” Tony replies. “Just long enough for somebody to dose him. How bad is it?”

 

“The reports are of property damage and minor injuries only so far,” Jarvis replies.

 

Veronica is a containment system, but it’s not perfect. They haven’t been able to fully test it, but the point is to slow the Hulk down, give him something to occupy him that isn’t others’ property or persons, just long enough to hit him with the sedative.

 

Tony spots Veronica just as it encases the Hulk, and Jennifer stands off to the side.

 

“How bad?” Tony calls.

 

Jennifer shakes her head. “I don’t know. I didn’t stop to find out. Where’s Barton?”

 

“En route, along with Wilson and Cap,” Tony replies. “Do you have any idea what set him off?”

 

Jennifer shakes her head. “No, I have no idea. You _know_ how good his control is.”

 

Veronica peels apart as the Hulk fights his way free of the metal, and Tony says, “Keep him focused on us, okay? We’ll double team him until Cap and Wilson get here.”

 

Jennifer nods determinedly. “Yeah, I got it. Come on, Bruce! Get it together!”

 

The Hulk roars and takes a swing at her, and Tony comes at him from behind, hitting him over the back of the head. Hulk swings at him, and Tony doesn’t manage to dodge in time. It’s not unlike getting hit by a truck, and he goes flying through the hair, hitting the side of a building with a crash.

 

Tony gets to his feet and flies directly at the Hulk, who looks righteously pissed off. “Come on, buddy,” Tony cajoles. “You know you love me. Nothing can hurt you when you’re big and green, but there are no bad guys to fight right now.”

 

Hulk bares his teeth and takes another swing at Tony, which he manages to dodge this time. Maybe it’s wishful thinking on Tony’s part, but he thinks the Hulk might be winding down.

 

Cap comes running up in uniform, and he has one of the tranq pistols. “Where’s Sam?” Jennifer calls.

 

“Stopped to render aid,” Steve replies, taking aim.

 

The dart hits the Hulk in the middle of his chest, and Hulk takes two steps and then falls over, his form shrinking down. “Good shot,” Tony says.

 

“I can get him back to the Tower,” Jennifer offers. “We should probably get him out of sight.”

 

Tony nods. “Agreed. Steve, we should help Wilson.”

 

“Call Matty,” Jennifer orders. “This is going to be a clusterfuck.”

 

“Yeah,” Tony agrees. “Get going, and I’ll give Cap a hand once I make the phone call.”

 

Jennifer picks Bruce up in a fireman’s carry and jogs off. Steve holsters the tranq pistol and nods at Tony. “It’s going to be fine, Tony,” Steve says quietly. “We’ll figure out what happened, and we’ll make sure it doesn’t happen again.”

 

Tony nods. “Yeah, okay. Thanks, Cap.”

 

He places the phone call to Matty but gets his voicemail. “Matty, there’s been an incident, which I’m sure you’ve probably seen on the news. I don’t know what happened, but we need to get out in front of it. Bruce and I will be at the Tower. Come by when you can.”

 

Tony takes off, having every intention of heading straight back to the Tower, and then his suit dies, and he plummets to the ground.

 

~~~~~

 

Pepper picks up the phone absently. “Pepper Potts.”

 

“Pepper, it’s Matty,” he says. “We have a situation on our hands in New York. Someone triggered Bruce.”

 

“Triggered how?” Pepper asks.

 

“I’m still trying to get to the bottom of it, but early reports suggest a gun shot was heard in the vicinity just before he went green,” Matty replies. “I can easily spin that part of it, and I don’t know that anybody was too badly hurt, but it’s going to eat up some public goodwill.”

 

“Stark Industries will pay for any damages, and we’ll pick up the medical bills for any injured,” Pepper says immediately. “Plus, let’s make a donation to an appropriate charity.”

 

“I’ll get the press release ready, and we should be on air in the next fifteen minutes,” Matty promises. “I’ll see who else I can get on the line.”

 

“Keep me updated,” Pepper orders.

 

She had known this day was coming; they all had. Bruce’s control is stellar, but things happen unexpectedly. Bruce gets mugged, someone shoots him, and he looses control. It’s not ideal, but at least Stark Industries can compensate the victims.

 

She tries to call Tony, but doesn’t get an answer. She doesn’t bother trying to call Bruce, since he’s typically out of it for a while after a transformation. Hill seems to be her best chance, and Pepper calls her next. “Are you on it?”

 

“I’m on it,” Hill replies. “But we have a problem. No one can find Stark.”

 

“What do you mean?” Pepper demands.

 

“Stark made a phone call to Matty and left a message, and he was supposed to join Captain Rogers and Falcon to assist the wounded,” Hill replies. “Jarvis reports that he lost contact with Stark shortly after he made the call. The suit is completely dark.”

 

“How is that even possible?” Pepper asks.

 

“Jarvis says that an EMP could take out the electronics on the suit, and it could be some time before it reboots,” Hill replies. “Cap is looking for him now.”

 

“They would have to haul the suit, too,” Pepper says. “It’s too heavy for just one or two people.”

 

“I’m aware, and we’re going to be sweeping the area for any signs that someone had the necessary equipment to move him,” Hill assures her. “As soon as Dr. Banner is conscious again, I’ll pick his brain as well.”

 

Pepper nods. “Keep me in the loop. I’ll head back to New York if you think it would help to have me on site.”

 

“Not right now,” Hill replies. “But I’ll let you know.”

 

She hangs up, and Pepper sighs. She hates being out of the loop, and she really hates having Tony disappear right when they need him the most.

 

Not that she blames him, of course.

 

“Oh, Phil,” she mutters. “This is about when I would really love to have you here.”

 

~~~~~

 

Jennifer is torn. She wants to be out looking for Tony, but Bruce is still unconscious, and she doesn’t want him to wake up alone. In the end, she sits next to Bruce’s bedside and silently urges him to wake up.

 

Bruce begins to stir about thirty minutes after they get back to the Tower. Jennifer grabs his hand and says, “Come on, Bruce. I really need you to wake up.”

 

Bruce blinks. “Jen? What—what happened?”

 

“I was hoping you could tell me, but we have another problem,” Jennifer says. “Tony’s disappeared.”

 

Bruce struggles to a sitting position. “What? How?”

 

“We don’t know, but Steve and Hill are looking now,” Jennifer replies. “Jarvis says that the suit went dark, probably due to an EMP.”

 

Bruce scrubs his hands over his face. “Okay, okay. Just—give me a second. Shit, stupid fucking…”

 

“Bruce, take a breath,” Jennifer says. “I know it’s hard for you to come back right after, and this was a rough one.”

 

“Someone shot me,” Bruce says. “In the chest. That’s why I transformed.”

 

“Okay, so perfectly reasonable,” Jennifer replies. “That means it was targeted.”

 

Bruce blows out a breath. “I was a decoy to get to Tony.”

 

“Maybe, probably, and we need to find him,” Jennifer replies. “But you need to take a breath and collect yourself.”

 

Bruce takes a few, deep calming breaths. “Okay, I need to get dressed, then I need to find Tony.”

 

Jennifer is glad that he’s pulling himself together, although she’s sure that getting shot and transforming unexpectedly has addled his brain somewhat. “I’ll be right outside.”

 

Bruce comes out fifteen minutes later, his hair a little damp, and he’s clearly refocused. “It’s a distraction.”

 

“What’s a distraction?” Jennifer asks, falling into step next to him.

 

“They attacked Tony right when we were starting to get a bead on Hydra and Ultron,” Bruce replies. “They took him because they think we’re going to drop everything to find him.”

 

Jennifer blinks. “Aren’t we?”

 

“I would love to do that right now, but we have no idea where to start, and this is Tony we’re talking about,” Bruce replies. “He built an arc reactor out of spare parts in a cave. We’re going to look for him, but we have no leads, and I trust Tony to do everything he can to get free.”

 

Jennifer frowns. “Bruce?”

 

Bruce’s eyes are blazing when he turns to her. “I have to have faith right now, Jen, or I’m going to lose it.”

 

Jennifer raises her hands. “Yeah, okay. I get that.”

 

“Tony is going to be fine,” Bruce insists. “And I will find him, one way or another, but our best bet for that is to find the people who took him.”

 

“And we will,” Jennifer promises.

 

Bruce shakes his head. “I need to check on Skye.”

 

Fitz is jogging towards the elevator when the doors open, his eyes wide. “Bruce!”

 

“What’s wrong?” Bruce asks.

 

“Attack,” Fitz gasps out.

 

“What kind?” Bruce demands.

 

“Computer.”

 

The lights flicker, and Bruce runs down the hall to the lab, where Skye is typing feverishly on her laptop. “I don’t know what’s going on,” she says before Bruce can ask. “I was hacking the Pentagon, getting some information on Ultron, and I _swear_ I didn’t do anything.”

 

“What’s happening?” Bruce asks, leaning over her shoulder. “Can you stop it?”

 

“No, I don’t think so,” Skye replies. “It’s moving too fast. It’s almost like it was waiting for me.”

 

“Then it probably was,” Bruce replies. He pats her on the shoulder. “It’s not your fault. What’s the aim?”

 

“Trojan,” Skye says. “And I can’t stop it.”

 

“Jarvis!” Bruce calls. There’s no response, and Jennifer knows that’s really, really bad. “Jarvis!”

 

The lights in the Tower go off completely, and Skye’s laptop screen goes dark. “I don’t know what just happened,” she says.

 

“Nothing good,” Bruce replies, pulling out a cell phone. “Pick up, pick up.”

 

“Who are you calling?” Jennifer asks.

 

“Cap,” Bruce replies. “Steve, we have a breach at the Tower, Jarvis is offline, and I believe an attack is imminent.”

 

Jennifer goes green, and Bruce says, “No, I don’t know where it’s coming from, but I can guess.”

 

And that’s when the explosion hits.

 

~~~~~

 

Bruce feels the explosion, but his recent transformation has tired him out, and he maintains control with difficulty. The building shakes and he swears creatively. Jennifer is already green and Bruce pushes Fitz at her. “Get him out of here.”

 

“Bruce—”

 

“Go, I’ve got Skye,” Bruce replies. “We need to get out of the building, and we need to go to ground, do you understand?”

 

Jennifer’s eyes go wide. “Bruce—”

 

“Take Fitz, and do what we talked about,” Bruce orders. “I’m going to take Skye. We meet at the farm in one week.”

 

She nods and hauls Fitz out.

 

Skye’s eyes are wide, but she grabs her gear. “What are we going to do?”

 

“We’re going to run,” Bruce says quietly. “We can go to ground, and you can contact Coulson from there and go back to your team.”

 

Skye shakes her head. “No, no way. Someone needs to watch your back!”

 

“I’m indestructible,” Bruce replies. “But we can talk about that later. Down the stairs.”

 

He calls Steve on the way. “Steve, it’s me. I’ve got Skye, and Jen’s got Fitz. We’re going to ground. One week.”

 

Bruce snaps the phone shut and leads the way down the stairway. There’s debris in the stairway, but the damage doesn’t appear to be too bad. “Do you have a go bag?” Bruce asks.

 

“Right here,” Skye replies. “I didn’t have a chance to get unpacked or anything.”

 

“Okay, I think we can probably stop along the way,” Bruce replies. “We move quickly, though, and if we can’t stop—”

 

“I lived out of my van for months,” Skye says. “I’m okay with sleeping rough for a while if we have to. Nice time of year.”

 

Bruce smiles grimly. “Okay.”

 

Bruce has two go bags, one in the Penthouse, which is the opposite direction from where they need to go, and one on the tenth floor lab. They stop off long enough for Bruce to grab it.

 

“I know a place,” Skye says abruptly. “I have a friend who has even better skills than I do. We can go to him.”

 

Bruce hesitates. “Yeah, okay. If you’re sure you don’t mind sticking around, we can try that.”

 

“The Rising Tide is pretty much defunct now, but there are still a few white hats out there who would be willing to help a member of the Avengers,” Skye says. “Probably in exchange for a few future favors.”

 

Bruce shrugs. “We don’t have much to lose at this point. Let me make a phone call.”

 

Bruce dials Aaron’s number. “Hey, Aaron.”

 

“Are you okay?” Aaron asks. “I saw the news. Tony—”

 

“I don’t know about Tony, but we need to get out of town, and I can’t trust that we’re not being watched,” Bruce says. “I need you to get in touch with Dominique and have her rent a car. Tell her Code 10, and she’ll know what needs to be done.”

 

“Can I do anything?” Aaron asks.

 

“Keep your head down, kiddo,” Bruce replies. “And if you get a call from an unknown number, answer it. If it’s a perv, hang up, but it might be me.”

 

“I’m down for anything, doc,” Aaron promises.

 

Bruce smiles. “Yeah, I know. Call Ms. Green for me, and if there’s anything else, I’ll let you know.”

 

He won’t, but there might be some small errand Aaron could run for him, since very few people know about Aaron’s relationship to them.

 

Bruce holds Skye back as they hit the exit. “Hang on. The explosion didn’t cause a lot of damage, so they may be looking to pick us off.”

 

Skye nods.

 

Bruce has years of instincts that serve him, and he looks around. There are paramedics and police surrounding the building, but no one is currently watching their exit. “Let’s go,” Bruce says. “Move quickly, but don’t run. Look like you have somewhere to be.”

 

She smiles. “I’ve done this a lot, doc. I’m good.”

 

Bruce nods. “Good.”

 

They make their way down the street, and no one gives them a second look. It’s not surprising. The Hulk is recognizable, but Bruce isn’t. He has one of those faces that seem familiar but that people can’t place, and Skye is an unknown.

 

“Where are we going?” Skye asks as they turn the corner.

 

“Our driver is going to rent a car under an alias that I gave her, and she’s going to leave it at a predetermined location,” Bruce replies. “Tony thinks I’m paranoid, and I probably am, but I’m going to really enjoy saying I told you so.”

 

“You’re only paranoid if they’re not out to get you, right?” Skye asks. “What’s the plan?”

 

“The plan is that we go find your hacker friend, get a bead on Tony’s location, and then we get control,” Bruce says. “Don’t worry. I have a few contingency plans in mind.”

 

~~~~~

 

When Tony wakes up, it’s with a silent curse and an internal promise that he’s going to buy Bruce something really expensive as an apology. That, or maybe he’ll start a scholarship or something in Bruce’s name. That seems right up his alley.

 

As it stands, his captors managed to peel him out of his suit, and left him in his cargo pants, a t-shirt, and nothing else. They’ve even taken his watch and emptied his pockets.

 

“Fucking EMPs,” Tony mutters. This is the second time he’s been bit in the ass by an EMP, but there’s no good way to shield himself when he’s in the suit.

 

He and Bruce have planned for this, though, for the possibility that one of them is captured, and that they come under attack. Maybe not for this exact problem, but Bruce will handle his end of things. Tony’s job is getting free and meeting up with him.

 

First things first, though: Tony needs to know where he is and find a way out.

 

There’s a door, but there’s no handle on the inside, and he can only assume that whoever grabbed him knew he’d try to escape first thing.

 

He would normally talk out loud to himself, but he can’t trust that the room isn’t wired for sound. Without a few tools or the suit, he doesn’t have much going for him.

 

Other than his brain; Tony still has that much left to him.

 

There’s a small vent high on the wall, so there’s no way out there. No doors, no windows, small vent, nothing but a bare room.

 

“I could really use a Hulk about now,” Tony mutters.

 

But Tony doesn’t have a Hulk, he has no way of getting out of the room that he can see, and his only option seems to be to wait for his captors to make a mistake.

 

~~~~~

 

Jennifer hustles Fitz along, dialing Steve’s number. “It’s me. There’s been an explosion at the Tower. Bruce gave orders to go to ground. It looks like a concentrated attack.”

 

Steve sighs. “Stay safe, and call me when you can. Sam and I will stick together. I’ll call Widow, Hawkeye, and Thor, tell them to lie low for now. We’ll regroup later as discussed. You good?”

 

“Copacetic,” Jennifer replies.

 

“Good. See if you can get a secure transmission to Coulson,” Steve replies. “I’ll coordinate with Hill. Stay safe, both of you.”

 

“You too.”

 

“What are we going to do?” Fitz asks when she hangs up.

 

“We’re going to find a safe place to land for a bit,” Jennifer replies. “Don’t worry, I’ll look after you.”

 

Fitz holds out his hand for her phone. “Let me make a call.”

 

“It might not be safe,” Jennifer warns him. “We should wait until we can pick up a burner phone.”

 

Fitz shakes his head. “We can toss this one right after, but I need to make a call.”

 

Jennifer shrugs and hands the phone over as they walk down the street, figuring they would ditch it right after. Fitz quickly dials a number, trusting Jennifer to steer. “It’s me,” he says. “We need—we _need_ —”

 

There’s a pause and Fitz heaves a sigh of relief. “Yeah, that.”

 

“Where do we go?” Fitz asks her after another pause.

 

Jennifer thinks about that for a minute. “Library.”

 

Fitz nods. “Library. We’ll be there.”

 

“45 minutes,” Jennifer says.

 

“Yeah, 45 minutes,” Fitz repeats and hangs up.

 

“We have to move if we’re going to make it,” Jennifer says. “Are you good?”

 

Fitz nods. “I’m good.” He throws the phone into a trashcan. “That was Mack. They’re still here.”

 

“Can we trust him?” Jennifer asks.

 

Fitz shrugs. “I trust him.”

 

“Okay, good enough,” Jennifer says. “We don’t have time to waste.”

 

She’s not green anymore, hasn’t been since they left the Tower, and she feels a little underdressed. Still, that’s a small price to pay for being able to move around unrecognized.

 

Funny thing about New York City, a woman in bike shorts and a sports bra leading a nebbishy guy to the library doesn’t raise any eyebrows.

 

There’s a tall, black guy sitting on the front steps of the library, reading a newspaper, and he gets up and greets Fitz with a warm hug. “Hey, Turbo.”

 

Fitz blushes slightly. “Hey, Mack.”

 

“You doing okay?”

 

Fitz nods. “Yeah. This is Jen.”

 

Mack’s hand dwarfs hers. “Pleasure.”

 

“The pleasure is mine,” Jennifer replies. “Any friend of Leo’s, etc.”

 

“Let’s get going,” Mack says. “We have a safe spot for you guys to lie low.”

 

Jennifer raises her eyebrows. “I need to be back here in a week to meet up with my cousin.”

 

“We’ll make sure you’re back in time,” Mack assures her. “Coulson told us to offer every courtesy.”

 

She’s not sure where the others will end up, or what they’ll do from here, but they have contingency plans for just this reason, set up after Rhodey’s warning. Bruce insisted, Tony indulged him, and the rest of the Avengers followed suit because when Bruce got stubborn, it was best just to go along with him.

 

Good thing.

 

Jennifer isn’t sure where they land, other than it’s in an underground bunker that Mack and Fitz call the Playground. “It was one of Fury’s secret locations,” Mack explains. “It’s not on any maps, and it’s not in SHIELD’s records.”

 

“Is Coulson here?” Jennifer asks.

 

Mack shrugs. “I don’t know, but I can check. I think he said he might have some business in Los Angeles.”

 

“Oh, well, _that’s_ handy,” Jennifer mutters.

 

Mack raises an eyebrow. “You and the boss have a history?”

 

“You could say that,” Jennifer replies. “He _was_ dating one of my best friends, he helped save my cousin from the Army, and he offered me a job at SHIELD a few years ago before we found out that it had been infiltrated by Nazis. We go back a ways.”

 

They’re both staring at her, and Jennifer pastes on the smile she used to reserve for attorneys on the other side. It’s now the smile she privately refers to as her, “Yes, I am a Hulk, ask me how!” smile.

 

“Okay,” Mack says slowly. “Fair enough.”

 

Fitz blinks. “Wait, Coulson _broke up with_ Ms. Potts? Why?”

 

“I would love to ask him that question,” Jennifer replies with feeling.

 

Fitz and Mack exchange looks. “Oh, man,” Mack says, ill-disguised delight on his face. “I want to be a fly on that wall.”

 

“You probably don’t,” Jennifer replies. “It might get messy.”

 

“Just don’t damage him too badly,” Mack advises. “We’ve only got the one director.”

 

Jennifer shrugs. “I’ll try not to do permanent damage.”

 

A woman appears in front of them; she’s of indeterminate age, neither young nor old, wearing a stern expression. “Melinda May. I’m a big fan.”

 

Jennifer has no idea if May is being sarcastic or serious, and she’s pretty sure she’s not _supposed_ to know. “Same here. Romanoff has told me a lot about you, most of it good.”

 

Her lips actually twitch slightly. “How is she?”

 

“No idea,” Jennifer admits frankly. “Somebody shot my cousin, kidnapped Tony, and blew up the Tower. I was a little too busy to get locations, but I’d sure appreciate some assistance.”

 

May looks her up and down. “Come on. I’ll find you some clothing, and we can make some calls. Romanoff and Barton have burners I have the numbers for.”

 

It turns out that one of the other SHIELD agents at the Playground, Bobbi Morse, is about Jennifer’s size, just an inch or two taller, and her SHIELD uniform fits well enough.

 

She feels really weird wearing it, but that’s another matter entirely.

 

May gives her an inscrutable look and says, “The uniform looks good on you.”

 

“Well, Coulson did offer me a job,” Jennifer replies. “It wasn’t the uniform that prevented me from taking it.”

 

“And what was the reason?” May asks.

 

“I reserved the right to sue the US government,” Jennifer replies with a grin. “Only now I don’t have a law firm behind me, just Bruce and Tony, which is proving somewhat problematic.”

 

“We should make some phone calls,” May replies. “We’ll do our best to help you find Mr. Stark.”

 

They adjourn to what looks like the conference room, and May wastes no time. “I’m assuming that Dr. Banner will be looking for Mr. Stark as well.”

 

Jennifer nods. “We didn’t talk about it, but that’s a sure bet.”

 

“Divide and conquer,” May says, and then calls Steve first. “Captain Rogers, Melinda May. Status?”

 

Steve’s voice comes over the speakers. “We’re holed up at Sam’s place for now, but we’re making plans to go somewhere else. Is Coulson there?”

 

“He had another errand,” May replies blandly. “I’m here with Ms. Walters.”

 

“Jen, hey,” Steve says, sounding relieved. “Nothing from Bruce or Tony yet?”

 

“No, nothing,” Jennifer replies. “Just the order to get out of town and meet up in a week.”

 

Steve hums thoughtfully. “What’s next?”

 

May looks to Jennifer, and she realizes that she’s deferring to Jennifer’s expertise, such as it is. “Someone needs to do recon at Pym Technologies. We also need someone to contact Rhodey, and we probably need to send someone to infiltrate the base in Sokovia. We _need_ to know what Hydra’s next step is, what they have, and what they know.”

 

By throwing that thought out there, she hoped Steve would make the call. Jennifer isn’t sure which grouping would be best to send where, just that someone needed to go.

 

“Clint and I will go to Sokovia,” Steve says. “We both have expertise in recon, and I’m too recognizable in the field. Sam’s relatively unknown, and Natasha can hide in plain sight, so they’d be better off at Pym. What about you?”

 

“Same thing I’ve been doing, and I’ll put a call in to Rhodey,” Jennifer replies. “Hopefully, I’ll manage to find something useful this time.”

 

“You found plenty of useful information, Jen,” Steve says consolingly. “It’s not your fault that Pym created a mass-murdering artificial intelligence, or that Hydra hooked up with it.”

 

Jennifer sighs. “Yeah, I know.”

 

And the thing is, she knows it’s not her fault, but it doesn’t exactly make her feel better about the current shambles that is the Avengers.

 

“Hang in there,” Steve advises her. “Tony’s going to be fine. I’ll get the others moving and let you know where we’re at in a day or two.”

 

“Yeah, he’s Tony,” Jennifer replies, although she knows how tentative that hope is.

 

Tony’s still just a man, and he can be killed, however resilient he’s proven to be so far.

 

“Call you when I have more,” Steve promises.

 

“Well, that killed several birds with one stone,” May comments. “What do you need from me?”

 

“A workstation and a secure internet connection,” Jennifer replies. “Getting through Hydra’s data seems pretty important at the moment.”

 

It might not be the most glamorous job, but maybe she can find something that will give them a clue as to Tony’s whereabouts.


	4. Chapter 4

Skye’s friend isn’t quite what Bruce expects. He lives in a one-bedroom studio in Flatbush that rides the line between shabby and nouveau industrial, and is short, slight, and nearly androgynous, with bright pink and blue hair and piercings in his ears, eyebrows, and nose.

 

He also does not appear entirely happy to see Skye. “I’m not interested in making deals with the feds,” he says.

 

“Hello to you, too, Brixton,” Skye replies. “And I’m not here as a fed, or with feds. I’m here to offer you an opportunity of a lifetime.”

 

Brixton snorts and goes to slam the door. Skye’s foot gets in the way. “How would you like to save Iron Man’s life?”

 

That catches his attention, and Brixton looks past Skye for the first time to see Bruce standing there. He blinks. “Are you—”

 

“I’m the guy who would really like to get out of your hallway before we discuss it,” Bruce replies affably.

 

Brixton swings the door wide open. “Oh, yeah, sure, come in, Dr. Banner. Sorry. You can’t be too careful these days.”

 

“I completely agree,” Bruce says and enters.

 

Skye rolls her eyes but follows him inside. “He’s a bit of a fanboy,” she says in an undertone.

 

Bruce will sign a hundred autographs, take a thousand pictures, if it gets Tony back. “Ask me if I care.”

 

“Can I get you something to drink?” Brixton asks. “Coffee? Tea? Soda? Except—I don’t have soda.”

 

“Tea is fine,” Bruce replies.

 

“Green okay?”

 

“That’s fine,” Bruce says, keeping his voice low and pleasant. Brixton seems the excitable sort.

 

“Oh, shit, I’m shaking,” Brixton admits. “I gotta say, Dr. Banner, we’re still talking about your ability to stay off the grid for years. Can you share any of those secrets?”

 

Bruce shrugs. “Sure. Always use cash when you use money at all, avoid the US military, learn the local language, use multiple encryption programs, learn useful skills to barter, the usual.”

 

Brixton’s eyes are bright. “And stealing?”

 

“Only when absolutely necessary,” Bruce replies. “It will bring unwanted attention.”

 

“Man, I’d love to hear some stories,” Brixton admits. “Would you mind?”

 

Bruce smiles. “Tell you what, you help me rescue Tony, I’ll invite you to the Tower for dinner, and I’ll make sure Tony introduces you to Jarvis.”

 

“It’s a deal,” Brixton says immediately. “What do you need me to do?”

 

“We were in the process of hacking the Pentagon when we were interrupted,” Skye replies. “We need to find out who has Tony, and how to take down Ultron.”

 

Brixton frowns. “What’s Ultron?”

 

“Have you been following the news?” Skye demands.

 

“Sure,” Brixton replies defensively. “Some. I have a job in IT right now, and it sucks, and there’s been a lot of overtime, okay?”

 

“Ulton is an artificial intelligence created by Hank Pym to protect America’s interests, but it seems to have backfired,” Bruce says, stepping in to prevent an argument. “We have reason to believe it may be connected to Hydra.”

 

Brixton frowns. “We’ll need the specs.”

 

“I can pay you, too,” Bruce offers. “For your trouble. This might take some time.”

 

Brixton hesitates. “I’d love to say ‘anything for you,’ but I have to pay rent.”

 

“Let me borrow your phone?” Bruce asks.

 

“Yeah, sure, no problem,” Brixton replies. “Skye, show me what you found already.”

 

Bruce has a few phone numbers memorized, and one of those is Pepper’s. He uses the private number, the one that only he and Tony have—and maybe Phil, but Bruce hasn’t asked.

 

“It’s me,” he says as soon as she picks up.

 

“Bruce.” Pepper’s sigh of relief is audible. “Are you okay?”

 

“I’m safe,” Bruce replies, because he really isn’t okay, and won’t be until he knows Tony is in one piece.

 

Pepper gives a little half-laugh. “I understand exactly what you mean. Do you need anything from me?”

 

“I think I found someone to hack in,” Bruce says. “I’m going to be paying him.”

 

“Offer him a bonus,” Pepper says promptly. “And a job. We always have more work than Tony can do, and we need someone to check our security. I trust you to do the right thing.”

 

Bruce is grateful for the vote of confidence. He knows he doesn’t need her permission, but it still feels good to have her stamp of approval. “I’ll do that, and I’ll let you know if we find anything.”

 

“Be careful,” Pepper says.

 

“You, too,” Bruce replies. “Love you, Pep.”

 

“Back at you, Big Guy,” she replies, and it feels weirdly final, but Bruce is hoping that it isn’t.

 

Brixton is already working on the problem, typing rapidly and muttering to himself. When Skye tries to look over his shoulder, he snaps, “A little room here?”

 

Skye puts up her hands in the universal gesture of surrender. “Okay, okay.” She stands next to Bruce. “He never did play well with others.”

 

“Someone of my genius doesn’t need to!” Brixton calls out. “If you’re going to chat, do it in the kitchen.”

 

Bruce looks around and doesn’t see a kitchen so much as a screened off area with a microwave and a hotplate. He shrugs, used to the eccentricities of genius, and they both retreat.

 

“What do you think happened to Jarvis?” Skye asks in a low voice. “He’s okay, right?”

 

Bruce nods. “Jarvis isn’t tied to a single location. The kind of cyber attack that would be necessary to disable—” He pauses. “It’s not impossible, not with something like Ultron, but we would know if Jarvis disappeared. He takes care of a lot of the day to day operations of Stark Industries.”

 

“So you’d know if there was a problem?” Skye asks.

 

“Pepper would have mentioned it,” Bruce replies. “And I would have been alerted.”

 

Brixton clears his throat. “Hey, I’m in.”

 

Bruce is actually impressed. “That was fast.”

 

“Well, Skye already had a lot of the prelim work done,” Brixton says begrudgingly. “And I may have been trying my hand at getting past their firewalls lately. I mean, who hasn’t wanted the dirt on Hydra?”

 

“People who don’t want to draw attention to themselves?” Bruce suggests. “Can we track Ultron?”

 

Brixton shrugs. “It would probably be easier if I looked for plans and other information that the military has on Ultron.”

 

“All right then,” Bruce says. “Focus on that for now.”

 

Bruce isn’t about to impose on Brixton’s hospitality, not in a studio apartment when it’s him and Skye, so they leave after setting up a secure connection. The car is right where Bruce expects it to be, and he calls Dominique on the burner she left in the glove compartment.

 

“Dr. Banner,” she says, relief coloring her voice. “I knew you were probably okay after that call from Aaron, but—did you get the car?”

 

“I did,” Bruce replies. “But we’re going to need to lay low for awhile, and I’m not sure we can risk leaving the city. I was hoping you might have a suggestion.”

 

“Who’s we?” she asks.

 

“Me and an associate who also managed to get out of the Tower,” Bruce says. “I don’t know where Tony is, and Jennifer took Fitz.”

 

“Well, that’s easy enough,” she replies. “I’ve got an uncle with a place out on Long Island. He just moved to a retirement community, but he hasn’t sold his house yet.”

 

“Do you think he’d be willing to rent it for a month or two?” Bruce asks.

 

“Yeah, sure,” she says. “I’m the one who’s supposed to be putting it on the market, so that’s no problem.”

 

Bruce smiles. “Great. That’s perfect. And Ms. Green? You still work for us, even if we’re not around to use your services. Same rates apply. Have fun with the kids.”

 

“You be careful!” she scolds. “I don’t want to find out you’ve torn up Central Park again. Let me know when you hear from Mr. Stark, and I’ll text the address.”

 

“Thank you,” Bruce says sincerely. “Okay, we have a place to go for a while,” he says after he hangs up. “In the meantime, I have a job for you if you’re up for it.”

 

“Like what?” Skye asks.

 

“Natasha and Sam can take care of most of the spying, but we might end up needing a thief,” Bruce replies. “I need someone skilled, preferably someone who isn’t a sociopath, who can break into Pym Technologies and get what we need.”

 

Skyes stare at him. “You want _what_ now?”

 

Bruce sighs. “Look, we might be able to get what we need in a perfectly legal manner, but I don’t want to count on it. Sometimes, you have to hire folks who can get the job done regardless of their pasts, and sometimes it’s their pasts that make them most qualified.”

 

Skye stares at him, and a bright grin forms. “Holy shit, you’re the pragmatic one!”

 

“Between Tony and I?” Bruce asks. “Probably, yes. Although Natasha has been known to cross her fair share of lines, as has Clint. Tony just never thinks he’s crossing a line until he’s about a mile past, and he has to make the best of things. My cousin and Steve are the real idealists. But if Natasha and Sam can’t get what we need, I want another option.”

 

Skye’s already nodding. “Someone local to Pym would be best, someone with ties to the area. You need someone like Mike Peterson.”

 

Bruce raises his eyebrows. “Who?”

 

“Good guy, loves his kid, got caught up with the wrong crowd, made some bad decisions,” Skye says succinctly. “Someone non-violent but really, really good at what they do.”

 

“You’re on that,” Bruce says. “You know what we’re looking for, so you find him or her.”

 

He’d asked Brixton to call in sick to work for the next week, so they’ll have a dedicated hacker working on tracing Ultron. With Skye looking for a thief, that frees Bruce up to work on a few other things.

 

Bruce’s phone chimes with a text from Dominique with the address and a note that her cousin would be meeting them with the keys.

 

“You’re really good at this, you know,” Skye comments as Bruce navigates the traffic towards Long Island.

 

Bruce’s smile is quick and rueful. “You know, there are some habits you never really break, no matter how good things seem. I love Tony, and I love our life together, but a lot has happened, and it’s always been in the back of my mind that this could be temporary. I could wake up one day, and the world would go to hell, and I would need a contingency plan.”

 

“Hell of a contingency plan,” Skye replies admiringly.

 

“Brixton and you were a surprise, but I’ve learned to be flexible,” Bruce admits. “If you want to split off and go back to Coulson…”

 

Skye shakes her head. “No way. This is—this is huge, and I’m right where I need to be. Coulson knows how to reach me if necessary.”

 

Bruce smiles. “If you need to leave, I’ll certainly understand.”

 

“I’ll let you know, but I’ll stick with you in the meantime.”

 

The house on Long Island could use some TLC, but it’s generally well maintained, and the man standing out in front greets Bruce with a handshake. “Lonnie Green. It’s a pleasure to meet you, sir.”

 

“Likewise,” Bruce replies. “Thanks for meeting us.”

 

“Anything you need,” Lonnie says. “If you’d rather not go out, I can bring supplies. I stocked some basics, but I wasn’t sure what you needed.”

 

Bruce shakes his head. “No, that’s not necessary, but thank you. If we can’t clear out by the end of the week, I’ll let Dominique know. Either way, your uncle will be compensated.”

 

Lonnie shrugs. “Let me know if you need anything.”

 

“Do you think he can be trusted?” Skye asks once they’re inside the house.

 

“I think Dominique can be trusted, and she wouldn’t set me up,” Bruce replies. “Tony and I are careful about who we employ.”

 

“Another lesson from being on the run?” Skye asks with a certain amount of humor.

 

“Also a lesson that Tony learned from being used a few too many times.” Bruce does a quick check of the house, which is sparsely furnished but sufficient to their needs. “All right, get set up and see what you can come up with. I’m going to check in with the others.”

 

Skye begins to get the wireless set up, and Bruce shoots off a text to Pepper and Jen, letting them know that he’s safe. He calls Steve next. “How are things?”

 

“Clint and I are arranging transport to Sokovia,” Steve replies. “We’re going to check out the Hydra base. Where are you?”

 

“I’m in a safe location,” Bruce replies. “Dominique Green knew of a place. Skye and I are going to lie low for a while. I’ve got someone working on getting whatever the military has on Ultron, and Skye is looking for someone to do some recon with Natasha and Sam on Pym.”

 

“Recon?” Steve asks.

 

“For a certain value of that word,” Bruce replies. “It depends on what we find.”

 

“Keep your head down,” Steve advises. “I’ll let you know what we’ve got. We should be back in the States by the end of the week.”

 

“I’ll let you know where we’re meeting,” Bruce says.

 

He calls Natasha next, but she doesn’t pick up, and Bruce leaves a quick message. “I’m safe, and I’ve talked to Steve. He’s good to go. Let me know how things are on your end.”

 

Bruce pulls out his laptop and tries to get a secure connection to Jarvis established, surprised when it fails. “Shit, this isn’t good.”

 

“Are you okay?” Skye asks.

 

“I need to find Jarvis,” Bruce replies. “My secure connection failed.”

 

“Do you want me to take a look?”

 

“I think you’d better,” Bruce replies. “We knew that it was a targeted attack, but if they got Jarvis somehow, too…”

 

Bruce doesn’t see how that would even be possible, but he should have been able to connect to Jarvis immediately.

 

Skye begins typing and says, “Well, it’s not a problem on our end. It looks like there’s nothing to connect _to_.”

 

“Is there any way of finding whether Jarvis is still around?” Bruce asks.

 

“Depends on where the brains are kept,” Skye replies. “I can ping the server, see if there’s anything there or if it’s been wiped clean.”

 

Jarvis is Tony’s baby, and while Bruce does have a basic understanding of how Jarvis works, he has no idea how to fix this.

 

And he certainly doesn’t want to have Tony get back only to discover Jarvis’ destruction.

 

“All right, let’s do that,” Bruce replies. “I don’t have to tell you that this is the sort of information we can’t risk being released.”

 

Skye nods. “No one will hear it from me.”

 

She works her magic, and says, “Okay, the server responded. I think Jarvis just can’t respond right now. I don’t know enough about the system to know for sure what’s going on.”

 

Bruce sighs. “Gone to ground as well, then, at least we hope. Okay, we’ll go with that.”

 

“You don’t want me to keep looking? I can do both at once by setting up a program,” Skye offers. “I assume you don’t want Brixton on this.”

 

“You assume right,” Bruce replies. “I’m sure he’s a good kid, but I don’t trust him with Jarvis, not yet.”

 

“Fair enough,” Skye replies. “I’ll get the ball rolling.”

 

Bruce breathes out a sigh. “Okay, fine. I’m going to make some food. Are you hungry?”

 

“I could eat,” Skye replies.

 

Bruce goes into the small kitchen to forage for food, trying not to think about where Tony is, or what might be happening to him. He can’t afford to lose his cool, not now, and he buries his feelings as deep as he can.

 

~~~~~

 

Pepper hates being stuck in Los Angeles while Tony’s captured and the others are god-knows-where, but Bruce was clear when he’d called on his way out of town. “Stay put. You could be a target, and we don’t want to give Hydra or whoever any additional hostages. You’ll be safe at Stark Industries.”

 

She doesn’t like it, but she also doesn’t want to make matters worse, so she stays put.

 

Two days after Tony is taken, Pepper is trying to work when Cindy says, “Director Coulson to see you, Ms. Potts.”

 

Pepper takes a deep breath. “Send him in.”

 

She doesn’t want to see him, but she also doesn’t want to admit how upset she still is at his rejection. Pepper stands and straightens her dress and pastes a pleasant smile on her face. “Phil,” she says as he enters the room.

 

He closes the door gently behind him and turns to face her. “Pepper.”

 

Phil says her name with such gravity, she really doesn’t know what to think. “Phil?”

 

“I’m sorry.”

 

He says the words differently than last time, with a different kind of regret, and Pepper suddenly doesn’t want to hear it. “What are you doing to get Tony back?”

 

“I have people on it,” Phil assures her.

 

“Not good enough,” Pepper snaps. “We have no idea what they’re doing to him!”

 

Phil takes a deep breath. “You know they’re not going to kill him.”

 

“No, I don’t know that,” Pepper replies with asperity. “The government is offering platitudes, and SHIELD technically no longer exists. No one is talking.”

 

Phil sighs heavily. “May I sit?”

 

Pepper waves him into a chair. “Sit.” She leaves the desk between them, needing the distance. “What do you know that I don’t?”

 

“The government is distancing itself from the situation because it’s partially responsible,” Phil explains. “Ultron is loose, and we’re not entirely sure what it’s up to, other than killing the people involved in its development. We might have a better shot if the Army would just admit that Pym fucked up, but it won’t.”

 

Pepper knows how these things work. “The Army already has a black eye. They don’t want to admit that their pet robot is loose.”

 

“Pretty much,” Phil agrees. “To them, they can’t see Ultron, so they don’t have to admit it exists.”

 

Pepper has been dealing with shortsighted assholes for most of her life, so this isn’t anything new, but it’s still disappointing. “This is Tony Stark.”

 

“And I’m sure they’ll put on a very nice funeral,” Phil says, sounding very weary.

 

Pepper opens her mouth to snap, but realizes that Phil’s comment had been deeply cynical, but not dismissive. “And that would be good for them, wouldn’t it?” she asks, meeting his cynicism with her own. “A martyred hero is easier to control than a live one.”

 

“You said it, not me,” Phil replies. “I have to leave soon, and I’m going to be coordinating with the rest of the Avengers to find Mr. Stark. I promise that I’ll do everything I can to bring him home safely.”

 

Pepper nods stiffly. “Of course. Is that all?”

 

Phil winces. “No, it’s not. I needed to show you something.”

 

He slides a couple of glossy photographs across the desk, and Pepper studies them carefully, seeing a complicated pattern of lines and circles that make little sense to her. “What are they?”

 

“I don’t know,” Phil replies. “But I’ve been drawing them, mostly at night. I—I won’t say I sleepwalk, but I’m not quite awake either, and then I find these symbols carved into the walls. It’s one of the reasons I broke things off.”

 

For knife work, the lines and circles are remarkably precise. Pepper would have assumed someone used a level, or maybe a rule and protractor. “Free hand?”

 

“If you can call it that,” Phil replies. “This is why I didn’t think I was safe to be around. I’m still not safe.”

 

Pepper doesn’t like it, but she has a better understanding now. “I see.”

 

“I love you,” Phil says quietly. “I wanted you to know that it’s not you, just in case things go sideways.”

 

“How worried are you?” Pepper asks.

 

But Phil just shakes his head, and Pepper knows that means nothing good.

 

~~~~~

 

Jennifer spends a day working on the data from SHIELD and getting familiar with the base, and then sternly tells herself to woman the fuck up and call Colonel Rhodes. Bruce is doing his own fact finding, Sam and Natasha are working on Pym Technologies, and Clint and Steve are going after the Hydra base in Sokovia.

 

And, while Jennifer could ask Pepper to call, she feels like she needs to do this. Maybe she’ll be able to convince him to give up on the Air Force and come work for the Avengers full time.

 

She finds a quiet spot out of the way of general foot traffic and dials Rhodes’ number using her burner. He doesn’t pick up, which isn’t surprising given that it would come up as an unknown number.

 

“Colonel Rhodes, it’s Jennifer, and I need to talk to you. Please call this number as soon as possible,” she says and hangs up.

 

She has no idea if he’ll be able to help, but it’s Tony, so she has to believe he’ll help.

 

Her phone rings five minutes later. “Where are you?” he demands.

 

“I’m safe with the remnants of SHIELD,” Jennifer replies. “Coulson isn’t here, but he’s going to be back soon apparently. What do you know about Tony?”

 

Rhodes sighs. “I don’t know anything. I’ve been trying to get some answers, but no dice so far. Look, can we meet somewhere?”

 

“I can try to make that work,” Jennifer replies. “I’ll need to get transportation. Where are you thinking?”

 

“Los Angeles?” Rhodes suggests. “Griffith Park. I’ll be back in a couple of days.”

 

Jennifer thinks about it. “Yeah, I’ll make it.” _One way or another_ , she thinks.

 

“I’ll see you then,” Rhodes replies. “West side of the park near Cathy’s Corner, there’s a bench. I’ll be there at 1500.”

 

“See you then,” Jennifer promises. She goes off in search of May at that point, both to see if she can bum a ride and to make sure there aren’t any warrants out for her arrest.

 

Better safe than sorry, and while Jennifer _wants_ to trust Rhodes, that doesn’t mean she does.

 

May is reviewing some reports when Jennifer finds her. “What can I do for you, Ms. Walters?”

 

“I need to be in Los Angeles in two days to meet up with Colonel Rhodes,” Jennifer says. “And I’d really like to know if there’s something I’m walking into that I don’t know about.”

 

May nods. “Of course. We can fly you there, and I’ll just check for wants and warrants.”

 

“Great,” Jennifer replies. “Anything else I can do?”

 

May shakes her head. “No, not at the moment, although Phil should be back tomorrow if you want to talk to him.”

 

Jennifer grins. “I do. I suppose the question is whether he’s going to be happy to see me.”

 

“He’s a big boy, he’ll deal,” May replies philosophically. “Found anything else on Hydra?”

 

“I wish,” Jennifer replies. “That’s most of the problem right there. I get through the encryption, and it’s bits and pieces. I have to put the pieces together, but that takes time that we don’t exactly have.”

 

May gives her a look. “You’re doing the best you can. You can’t blame yourself for the things you don’t know yet.”

 

“And if I could find Tony?” Jennifer counters. “If I find the information we need to rescue Tony after he’s dead, I’m not sure there are any platitudes that are going to help.”

 

“There won’t be,” May says bluntly. “Nothing will help. But that doesn’t change the truth.”

 

“Truth can be relative,” Jennifer counters. “Tony and Bruce are family.”

 

May nods. “We lose people in this line of work, Ms. Walters. That’s a given.”

 

“I know that, but this really isn’t my first choice for line of work,” Jennifer replies. “I’m not a SHIELD agent.”

 

May shrugs. “But you are an Avenger.”

 

“And sometimes I wonder about that,” Jennifer mutters. “Thanks.”

 

“I’ll let you know when we’re due to leave,” May promises.

 

Jennifer doesn’t think she’ll be able to concentrate, so she goes in search of Fitz, who’s the most familiar face on base. Fitz and Mack are working side-by-side, and Jennifer smiles as she joins them. “Hey, guys.”

 

“And if it isn’t the incomparable Ms. Walters,” Mack says. “How are things?”

 

“Things are going,” Jennifer replies. “Although if I stare at a computer screen much longer, I’ll probably go cross-eyed.”

 

Mack glances at Fitz. “Well, Turbo here is supposed to be working on his hand-eye coordination. We could try out a few games.”

 

“What kind of games?” Jennifer asks.

 

“ _Mortal Kombat_?” Mack suggests.

 

Jennifer had a college boyfriend who had been obsessed with _Mortal Kombat_ , and she’d learned to play out of self-defense—and also because he’d been a demon in the sack. She indulged guys who gave head like it was a religious experience back then, and she still does to a certain extent.

 

“I’m going to take you down,” Jennifer replies.

 

She kicks both of their asses handily, one after the other, and Jennifer pumps both fists in the air in victory. “Ha! I rule!”

 

“You’re happy about beating the ha-handicapped guy?” Fitz asks incredulously.

 

Jennifer smiles and punches him in the shoulder. “No, I’m kicking the ass of the guy who needs to get better at _Mortal Kombat_ before he takes on the master, namely me. And to be fair, I learned from my college boyfriend who _loved it_ when I beat him. Call it operant conditioning.”

 

Mack chuckles, but it takes Fitz a few seconds to get it, and when he does he blushes bright red. “Oh, um.”

 

“Just remember, Leo,” Jennifer advises him. “It’s not about what you can’t do, it’s about what you _can_ , and you’re still capable a lot.”

 

Mack’s smile is warm; Leo’s expression is embarrassed, but Jennifer considers it a job well done when Leo grins.

 

They all need a little levity these days, a little humor, however fleeting.

 

Jennifer passes the next two days researching Hydra, hanging out with Fitz and Mack, and digging through the files for any sign of where Tony might be. She doesn’t get the chance to confront Coulson because he decides to take a little side trip and isn’t returning to the base until after she’s due to leave to meet Rhodes.

 

She _knows_ something is up with Coulson, and she wishes she had the time to ferret out what that is.

 

She’s less concerned about Bruce because he’s the Hulk, and he’d been in one piece the last she’d seen him. There’s still no word on Tony, though, and no additional demands have been made.

 

Jennifer figures that they’re waiting for something, some way to get leverage over him, and haven’t come up with anything yet. With the Avengers gone to ground, Bruce out of reach, and Pepper well protected, they’ve got nothing.

 

What they’ll do with Tony since they have nothing is what’s worrying her.

 

When it comes time to meet Rhodes, Agent Morse is nice enough to provide Jennifer with some street clothes to replace the SHIELD uniforms she’s been wearing.

 

“I really appreciate this, Agent Morse,” Jennifer says as she pulls the soft cotton t-shirt over her head.

 

“Call me Bobbi, and it’s no problem,” Bobbi replies. “If you don’t mind, I’ll be the one piloting, and I’ll provide backup when you meet with Rhodes.”

 

Jennifer ties her shoelaces. “I have no problem with that, but is there a reason you’re worried about this meeting?”

 

“I’m worried about someone using this opportunity to kidnap you,” Bobbi says. “And fair warning, we’ll have company. Probably really annoying company.”

 

Jennifer looks up. “Oh?”

 

“Lance Hunter, former partner,” Bobbi says. “And I recommend you ignore him as much as possible. We’ll keep you on coms, and we’ll have you under surveillance the entire time. Once the meet is over, we can make a decision about where to go next.”

 

Jennifer pulls her head back into a ponytail with the tie around her wrist and takes a deep breath. “Okay. Let’s go.”

 

Hunter is waiting for them next to the Quinjet, as is Fitz, and Jennifer gives him an impulsive hug goodbye. “Take care of yourself, okay?”

 

“You too,” Fitz replies. “And find Tony.”

 

“I’m going to try,” Jennifer promises.

 

Hunter offers his hand. “Lance Hunter. Pleasure to meet you,” he says in a strong British accent. “Big fan of your work.”

 

Jennifer smiles. “Thanks. I appreciate the added security.”

 

“No worries,” he says cheerfully. “Always a pleasure to provide assistance to an Avenger.”

 

Hunter keeps up a light patter during the flight, asking Jennifer questions about the other Avengers like whether Tony is the same in person as he is in interviews, and if Bruce is actually really nice in spite of the Hulk, and if Romanoff is as hot in person as she was during her Senate hearing.

 

That last gets a sharp, “Hunter!” from Bobbi, but Jennifer grins. “Hotter, although I don’t really swing that way.”

 

“Enough with the nosy questions,” Bobbi says sharply.

 

“It’s the Avengers,” Hunter protests. “Everybody wants to know about the Avengers.”

 

“It’s rude,” Bobbi says firmly.

 

“I really don’t mind,” Jennifer says. “And if it’s too personal, I’ll ignore him.”

 

Bobbi glances over her shoulder. “I recommended doing that right off the bat.”

 

“But then I would have missed the in-flight entertainment,” Jennifer says cheerfully, which makes both of them laugh.

 

There are two vehicles waiting for them in Los Angeles, one that’s clearly a government-issued black SUV and another that has to be from Tony Stark’s private collection—a silver Audi that’s not exactly subtle.

 

“Where did that come from?” Hunter asks.

 

Jennifer grins. “Pepper, of course. I told her I’d be in town. I’ll let you guys follow me.”

 

She finds the meeting spot easily enough with her GPS, and she sits on the bench, checking her messages. She’s typing out a message to Matty when she feels a presence next to her. “Colonel Rhodes,” she says evenly without looking up.

 

“Ms. Walters,” he replies in the same even tone. “How are you?”

 

“Oh, I just spent the last few days playing _Mortal Kombat_ and searching fruitlessly for any clue as to Tony’s whereabouts,” Jennifer replies. “And I’m worried half out of my mind. You?”

 

“Minus the _Mortal Kombat_ , about the same,” Rhodes admits. “But I do have some additional information.” He holds out a flash drive. “When are you going to see Banner again?”

 

“I’ll head back to New York in a few days,” Jennifer replies. “We set this up a while ago. After the thing with Ross, and then Hydra, Bruce figured we needed contingency plans for our contingency plans.”

 

Rhodes nods. “No one at the top who actually has access to Ultron is talking, and no one wants to admit that they basically paid for a monster.”

 

“It wouldn’t be the first time, though,” Jennifer says gently. “Bruce told me about Blonsky.”

 

“Blonsky was different,” Rhodes replies. “Blonsky was technically a volunteer, and while he certainly got out of control, this is different. _Ultron_ is different.”

 

Jennifer sighs. “Okay, what can we do?”

 

“We need to get to Pym, but the Joint Chiefs have him fairly well hidden,” Rhodes replies. “And well guarded. Hopefully, there’s enough information there to give us a start on dealing with Ultron.”

 

Jennifer nods. “Okay, look, Steve and Clint are checking out the Hydra base we found in Sokovia, and Natasha and Sam are working on Pym Technologies. I’ll talk with them first and see if they’ve found a way inside.”

 

“Darren Cross is going to pose a problem,” Rhodes points out. “If it gets out that Ultron is a dangerous failure, Pym Technologies loses the ground it’s gained in the market, and then some.”

 

“Then maybe Cross shouldn’t know we’re even there,” Jennifer replies.

 

“Pym had some connections to SHIELD back in the day,” Rhodes says. “You might find something in those files. Given what’s happened, there might be other things in Pym Technologies that we don’t want anybody to get their hands on.”

 

Jennifer takes a deep breath. “Well, I guess we have a place to start. Stay in touch?”

 

Rhodes nods. “You’ve got it. Keep your head down, Ms. Walters.”

 

“You too, Colonel,” Jennifer replies, and then strides quickly away.

 

~~~~~

 

When the door opens, Tony’s ready and already swinging, but he gets hit with a cattle prod and is down for the count. When he wakes up, he’s strapped to a chair, and as soon as he opens his eyes, someone is on him taping his eyelids open.

 

He realizes that he’s gagged, his head has been immobilized, and now his eyelids have been peeled back.

 

This is _not_ good.

 

“You know, some people don’t think brainwashing is possible, at least not in the traditional sense,” a man says. “Obviously, cults do it, but that takes time and persuasion, things that we don’t have right now. Hydra, however, has managed to find a way to rewrite the brain. It does take some time, but I estimate that we have about two to four weeks before they discover our location—at least.”

 

The man leans in close, but while Tony can feel—and smell—his breath, he can’t see him. “There’s a betting pool, you know. I give you ten days, but there are some folks who are betting on as little as five. By the time we’re done here, you’ll be Hydra’s loyal servant.”

 

Tony loses the next few days. He’s pretty sure they pump him full of drugs, and they feed him through a tube and put him on an IV. He’s allowed a few moments of respite here and there, but mostly there’s just him in a drugged haze, forced to watch patterns on the wall, and hearing the same words over and over.

 

 _Compliance, compliance, compliance_ drones over and over, and Tony has never been so grateful for the lessons he learned at Howard Stark’s knee.

 

Tony has never, ever been good at _complying_.

 

And then, the droning words are shut off, and the patterns are shut down, and someone is freeing him from his bonds.

 

“Mr. Stark?” There’s a woman gripping his shoulders tightly, and it’s a little painful, but the pain brings clarity. “We need to leave.”

 

“Compliance will be rewarded,” Tony says automatically.

 

She growls at him. “No, it _fucking will not be_.”

 

Tony blinks. “Who—who are you?”

 

“Agent 33,” she replies. “SHIELD. You can call me Kara, though. We need to leave. I have a diversion, but I can’t carry you out of here. Do you understand me?”

 

It takes him a moment, but he gathers himself. “Yeah, yeah, I can walk. How long—”

 

“Near as I can tell, about six days,” she replies, looping one of his arms over her shoulders. She’s stronger than she looks, and Tony think she probably _could_ carry him out, although they probably wouldn’t move fast enough.

 

He groans. “Bruce is going to be out of his mind with worry.”

 

“The rest of the Avengers have pretty much gone silent,” she replies. “At least as far as the rest of the world is concerned. Somebody released a statement about the Hulk showing up in Central Park, and a statement about you being missing, but that’s about it.”

 

Once out of the room they were holding him in, Tony can hear klaxons blaring, and then there’s the sound of another explosion.

 

“I wasn’t sure I’d be in time,” she frets. “It took me this long to figure out where they were holding you. I’m pretty sure only Bakshi and Whitehall knew, and I couldn’t risk blowing my cover until I was sure.”

 

“It’s fine,” Tony says. “I’ll _be_ fine.”

 

He’s not sure he will be. He’s lost six days, and he’s not sure what they were doing to him. Tony’s not entirely sure it didn’t work.

 

He certainly doesn’t feel quite like himself.

 

“Well, if you say ‘hail, Hydra,’ I will knock you out and drag you to Stark Tower myself,” Kara warns. “I didn’t know how to contact the rest of the Avengers. I don’t have the access codes for SHIELD, and—”

 

“Where are we?” Tony asks, cutting her off. Panic is starting to creep into her voice, and that’s like a jolt of cold water.

 

Tony has to get to Bruce. He has to escape. There’s no acceptable alternative.

 

“Northeastern Maryland,” she replies, and now they’re out of the building, into the dark night air that’s a little cool. It’s bracing.

 

Tony takes a deep breath. “Do you have a car and gas money?”

 

Kara nods. “Yeah, I parked a little ways off.”

 

“There’s a place in Pennsylvania,” Tony says. “It’s a safe house that we agreed we’d meet at if things went to complete shit. I think this qualifies, and it will have what we need to contact the others.”

 

After the fall of SHIELD, after Rhodey’s information, after the lawsuit got dismissed, Bruce added layers to their contingency plans. There are shell corporations and safe houses and offshore bank accounts and caches in both New York and Los Angeles.

 

Tony knows Bruce, and he knows that after getting shot, Bruce won’t want to put himself in a position where he can be triggered again.

 

And that means he’s probably at the farm, or he will be.

 

Kara nods. “It’s probably better than trying to make a cell phone call. They’ll be watching for that.”

 

Behind them, there’s another explosion, and Tony says, “Come on. We have to get out of here.”

 

“Here” turns out to be an abandoned military installation with trees growing right up to the property line. Kara keeps a tight grip on him, and Tony is grateful for it. He no longer feels quite so weak, but the inside of his head is a mess right now. As the moments tick by, as they creep through dense underbrush, his mind is awhirl.

 

Is this a dream? Is he hallucinating right now? Is this part of the process? Maybe she’s helping him to escape only to betray him.

 

Hydra is powerful; Hydra has weapons. Hydra has Ultron, and Tony can make Ultron better if only he would _comply_.

 

Tony chokes down his terror, reminding himself that he’d done it before after riding a nuke through a hole in space. He now has vital information, all those things that they’d insidiously tried to insert in his brain, the things they wanted him to do—he knows what Hydra wants now.

 

“Down!” Kara hisses, and Tony drops, and a thought wafts through his addled brain.

 

_I hope there isn’t poison ivy here._

 

That thought feels real, feels like his own, and he hangs onto it.

 

They had been moving parallel to a faint trail, and Tony sees a couple of men trudging along with flashlights.

 

“You’d think if it was such a big emergency, they would have let us park closer,” one of them grumbles.

 

The answering voice is sharp. “Multiple explosions have been reported, Guy. And the road is blocked off for very good reasons.”

 

Tony keeps himself still and quiet next to Kara, who finally lets out a breath and squeezes his shoulder. They don’t run into anybody else on the trail, and when they emerge from the trees, it’s to a parking lot for a clearly marked trailhead.

 

“My cover is mostly intact, so I took a risk bringing my own car,” Kara says.

 

She opens the backseat door for him. “I think you should probably get down on the floor. There’s a blanket back there. Cover yourself up with it.”

 

Tony doesn’t argue, knowing that she might be able to explain why she’s driving away from a secret Hydra base where she’s not authorized to be. She could hardly explain why she’s driving away with Hydra’s biggest prize.

 

The quiet starts to get to him after a few minutes. He’s trying to sort out his thoughts, and he’s exhausted and dizzy and he doesn’t know what’s real and what isn’t, and he’s desperately afraid that this is a dream.

 

Maybe his mind is making this up, but no, he wouldn’t. In Tony’s fantasy, Bruce is the one who comes to get him.

 

The minutes tick away, and Tony hears Kara let out a breath. “Okay, I think we’re past the worst now,” she says in an undertone. “But stay under the blanket for now. Do you want the radio?”

 

“Yeah. Please.” Anything to drown out the “compliance will be rewarded” loop still playing in his head.

 

He hears the static that means she’s flipping through radio stations, and then AC/DC blares out with “Highway to Hell,” and Tony can’t help but laugh.

 

“This okay?” Kara asks.

 

“Yeah,” Tony replies, and relaxes a little more, and the familiar lyrics and chords aren’t Hydra, aren’t anything but the song he’s listened to a million times.

 

Tony falls asleep to the sound of classic rock.

 

~~~~~

 

Pepper has never been so exhausted in her life. She doesn’t want to complain, because Tony is still missing, Bruce has gone to ground, Jennifer is with SHIELD, Steve and Clint are on a dangerous mission somewhere, and Natasha is infiltrating Pym Technologies. In comparison, Pepper’s job is fairly easy, but she hasn’t been sleeping well.

 

“Tell me we have good news,” Pepper says when Matty collapses into the chair across from her.

 

“There’s been an outpouring of support for Mr. Stark and Dr. Banner, but people are beginning to lose faith in the government and the military,” Matty replies wearily. “The Avengers are nowhere to be seen, and no one seems to be trying to rescue Mr. Stark.”

 

“Do you think the military _wants_ to rescue Tony?” Pepper asks. “I haven’t been very impressed with their efforts.”

 

Matty runs a hand through his hair. “I don’t know, Pepper. To be honest with you, the military has a tiger by the tail with Ultron, and instead of going to Tony and Bruce while there was still time, they let themselves be seduced by Pym’s promises of control.”

 

“What can Stark Industries do?” Pepper asks.

 

Matty shakes his head. “Nothing, that’s the problem. I don’t think there’s anything that anybody can do. Once I’m back in touch with Dr. Banner, he and I might be able to come up with something.”

 

“The shares are holding steady,” Pepper says. “I don’t think this is going to affect Stark Industries too much. We’ve worked really hard at separating Tony from SI.”

 

“Support for the model towns is only increasing,” Matty points out. “Most people want to see a little hope in the world right now. I think that’s the only thing we can do.”

 

“How’s Aaron?” Pepper asks.

 

“Happy to be in LA, but worried about Tony and Bruce,” Matty admits. “He likes both of them quite a bit, and this is—this has been hard on him.”

 

“Hard on you, too, I imagine,” Pepper replies.

 

Matty shakes his head. “I’m fine. I’m just the guy who keeps having to find a new way of saying that we’re sure that Iron Man and the rest of the Avengers are competent people who will somehow find a way to come through unscathed, and how much we appreciate the thoughts and the prayers of all those concerned.”

 

“You’re doing that very well,” Pepper says.

 

“How are you?” Matty asks. “I haven’t forgotten that part of my job is looking after you, too.”

 

Pepper shakes her head. “To be honest? All I want is to go home, eat something I didn’t cook but isn’t takeout, have a glass of wine, and a bubble bath. And I want to do that without having to worry that I’ll have to jump out any moment for an emergency.”

 

“You really should find a second-in-command,” Matty says. “Someone who can take those calls for an hour or two.”

 

Pepper sighs. “I’ve been looking, but so far no luck. The only person I know of that I could trust to do it has her hands full.”

 

“Maria Hill?”

 

“Maria Hill,” Pepper confirms. “But her work is more cover than reality, and I don’t feel comfortable saddling her with additional responsibilities right now.”

 

“Don’t burn yourself out, Pepper,” Matty advises. “If Ms. Hill can’t help you, have her find you someone who can.”

 

Pepper smiles wearily. “I’ll take that into consideration. You should head out, take Aaron out to dinner. If he wants a tour of SI, I’m sure we can arrange it.”

 

Matty nods. “I just appreciate you letting me bring him with me. After what happened at the Tower, I didn’t want to let him too far out of my sight.”

 

“I’m just glad he wasn’t there at the time,” Pepper replies. “I think I’ll head home, too.”

 

Happy drives her; Pepper hasn’t been behind the wheel of a car in years at this point, and both Hill and Happy insisted on heightened security after the attack on the Tower. Happy pulls up in front of her building and parks, ushering her out of the car and up to the door. She has an apartment in a building with a doorman and security, and Happy sees her inside before taking his leave.

 

“Miss Potts,” the security guard calls as she heads for the elevator. “You have a visitor.”

 

“Who?” she asks.

 

“Mr. Coleman,” the guard replies. “You said he was on the list, so I didn’t think it would be a problem.”

 

That’s one of Phil’s aliases and Pepper manages a smile. “Yes, of course. That’s fine. Thank you, Denny.”

 

Pepper feels a sense of trepidation as she enters her apartment, a little surprised that Phil would just show up at her apartment unannounced like this. She enters and smells something cooking, and her eyes go wide. Phil isn’t known for his cooking skills, but the odors are incredibly appetizing.

 

“I’m sorry for just dropping by,” Phil apologizes as soon as she enters and kicks her heels off by the door. “I was passing through, and I thought I might cook an apology dinner.”

 

“Considering that I was just telling Matty that I was hoping for a meal I didn’t cook and wasn’t takeout, your timing is good,” Pepper admits. “But what are you doing here?”

 

“I thought you might need a friend,” Phil replies, pouring her a glass of wine. “If you trust me, give me your phone, and after you’ve eaten, you can relax for a few hours.”

 

Pepper takes a breath. “You can’t stay tonight?”

 

“I’m not sure that’s wise,” Phil admits. “I’m still not entirely safe, but you need to relax, and I can do this much.”

 

Pepper gives him a long look. “Then I’ll take it.”

 

She wishes for more, but here she is, safe and sound with an evening’s relief—well, she’s not going to look a gift horse in the mouth.

 

Pepper almost feels guilty, but she knows that tomorrow is a new day with plenty of new challenges.

 

~~~~~

 

Bruce has spent a rather productive week with Skye, getting things together for their next steps.

 

Skye has a candidate for their thief, in case they need to break in. Brixton has managed to create aliases with deep backgrounds for the rest of the team in case they need to run, or travel anonymously. And Bruce has finally managed to make contact with Jarvis, so the attack hadn’t been a complete success.

 

Unfortunately, whoever took Tony isn’t gloating about it, or taking responsibility, so there’s nothing to trace. Jarvis and Bruce have both been looking for any signs that Tony might be trying to contact them, but it’s been radio silence.

 

“Time to go,” Bruce says to Skye after sending out an encrypted message to the rest of the team, including Jennifer, with the all-clear signal.

 

Skye packs up her things. “You got it, doc.”

 

Their destination is in rural Pennsylvania, a sprawling farm that probably needs a lot of work, but can be secured, and was purchased by a shell corporation.

 

Bruce already turned in the rental car that Dominique procured for them and sends Skye into the rental agency to get the next one. Skye has clean ID, and isn’t known as an Avenger, so it’s easier, although Bruce is the one who drives.

 

It takes a few hours to get there, but Bruce calls ahead, and Matty meets them on the porch. “Relax,” he says. “I sent one of the folks from Legal to pick up the keys. Aaron is inside, unloading the supplies and the other items you requested.”

 

“Is Aaron okay?”

 

Matty nods. “Worried about you both, but he’s fine. I think he appreciated having something concrete to do.”

 

Bruce follows Matty inside and is a little surprised when Aaron gives him a tight, hard hug. “Have you heard from Tony?” Aaron asks, his words a little muffled.

 

“No, not yet,” Bruce replies. “You okay?”

 

Aaron nods. “Yeah. They opened the Tower back up a couple of days ago, and we grabbed everything we thought you’d need, along with everything on your list.”

 

“Hey, doc,” Skye calls. “Coulson just texted me. The Quinjet bringing Jennifer should be here in about an hour, and he needs me back right away.”

 

“That’s fine,” Bruce replies. “I really appreciated your help this week.”

 

“No problem,” she insists. “I’ll make sure you have all the necessary information.”

 

There’s the sound of tires on gravel outside, and Bruce frowns. Steve said that he was coming by Quinjet, and Natasha texted to say she and Sam would be a little late. No one else should know about this place.

 

“Stay here,” Bruce orders shortly. “And if I go green, go out the back door and stay out of sight.”

 

The car is a nondescript four-door sedan, and Bruce doesn’t recognize the woman behind the wheel. He does recognize the passenger.

 

Tony is out of the car almost before it’s stopped, and he’s in Bruce’s arms a few seconds later. Tony buries his face in the side of Bruce’s neck.

 

“Oh, god,” Bruce mutters. “I thought I’d lost you.”

 

“I’m here,” Tony says. “I’m here, I’m okay. We’re okay. We’re good.”

 

Bruce just holds him tightly, needing to know that he’s real, and he’s _there_ , and okay.

 

He doesn’t know that Tony’s okay.

 

Bruce pulls back and looks him over for any sign of injury. Tony has dark circles under his eyes, and he definitely needs a shower and shave, but he doesn’t appear to be injured. “Are you okay?” he asks in a low voice.

 

Tony opens his mouth to reply, then snaps it shut again. “I don’t know. I—” He shakes his head, dark eyes slightly unfocused. “Bruce, this is Kara, Agent 33. She got me out.”

 

She holds out a hand for Bruce to shake. “It’s a pleasure to meet you, Dr. Banner.”

 

“ _Thank you_ ,” Bruce says. “And call me Bruce.”

 

She blinks, and then nods. “Of course.”

 

“Come on inside,” Bruce says. “The others will be here soon, but I’m sure you guys want to get cleaned up.”

 

He’s pretty sure Tony is still wearing the same thing he was when captured, and he thinks they might need privacy for the next conversation.

 

“Do you guys want something to eat?” Bruce asks as he leads the way inside. “Unless you want to get cleaned up first.”

 

“I really want a shower,” Tony says wearily.

 

Kara shoots him a worried look. “I can look after myself.”

 

“I think there’s stuff for sandwiches,” Bruce offers. “And I’ll probably make something more elaborate when the others get here, but—”

 

“Tony!” Aaron takes a few steps forward when they enter, clearly uncertain as to whether Tony would accept an enthusiastic greeting.

 

Something in Tony’s face changes then, like Aaron’s presence relieves some burden. “Hey, kid,” he says. “What are you doing here?”

 

“Stocking up, bringing you supplies, running errands,” Aaron says, taking half a step closer, and Tony pulls him in for a brief side-hug.

 

“Thanks,” Tony says. “You okay?”

 

“I should be asking you that,” Aaron says, but his grin grows. “And I can help.”

 

Bruce shoots a look at Matty, who nods. “How about we put together some sandwiches,” he suggests. “Tony, I’m really glad you’re okay.”

 

There’s another flicker of emotion in Tony’s eyes, and then he goes a little blank. “Yeah, me too. That one was maybe a little too close for comfort.”

 

Bruce nods at Kara, who makes a shooing motion, and Bruce pulls Tony back to the bedroom he’d staked out for them, locking the door behind them.

 

Tony appears dazed. “Is this real? I didn’t—this is real, right? When I saw Aaron, I was pretty sure, but—”

 

“It’s real,” Bruce replies. “I’m going to help you get cleaned up, is that okay?”

 

Tony nods, almost desperately. “I just—I need to know it’s real, Bruce.”

 

Bruce strips him efficiently, with an ease born of practice, making sure to offer frequent touches. “Matty and Aaron brought some of your clothes. I’m pretty sure that Aaron wanted an excuse to snoop, but I’m glad for it now.”

 

Tony lets out a choked laugh. “He has a crush on you that could be seen from orbit.”

 

“That’s true,” Bruce replies. “That’s absolutely true. He has a little bit of a crush on you, too, but you intimidate him more.”

 

Bruce says that, but Tony feels very fragile to him in that moment, as though some fire inside him has been diminished.

 

Bruce pulls his own clothing off and chivvies Tony into the shower. “I don’t have any of your fancy toiletries with me, I’m afraid. You’ll have to make do with mine.”

 

“I replaced yours with the good stuff ages ago,” Tony counters, sounding a little more like himself. “I just didn’t bother telling you.”

 

“What makes you think I didn’t know?” Bruce asks. “And also, I had to grab a few things, and I went cheap, so it won’t be up to your usual standards.”

 

“But it will be real,” Tony argues. “Because that’s something you would do. You’d buy the cheap stuff when you run out because you’re going to ground and don’t have ready access to the accounts.”

 

“I wouldn’t use the accounts, but that’s it exactly,” Bruce replies, and gets him under the spray. The bathroom has been cleaned recently, but the house itself hasn’t been updated since the mid-century mark. The tiles are light blue and scuffed, there’s a hairline crack that’s been mended in both the sink and toilet, and the light fixture could use a good scouring.

 

The shower has a detachable spray nozzle that can be hung over the old, worn tub, and Bruce begins to gently wash Tony’s hair. “It’s all real,” he murmurs. “I’m really here. You’re okay.”

 

“They tried to brainwash me,” Tony admits. “I think the operative word is try, but I don’t, I don’t know.”

 

“What did they want?” Bruce asks, getting him to rinse his hair and starting on round two. Whatever they’d been doing to him, getting clean was apparently not high on their list of priorities.

 

“Hydra has Ultron,” Tony says quietly. “They thought I could make it better. They wanted me to serve Hydra.”

 

There’s a weird tone to Tony’s words, and Bruce asks, “What do you need me to do right now for you?”

 

Tony shakes his head. “I don’t know. I don’t know if they were successful. I mean I don’t—”

 

Bruce cuts him off with a kiss. “You’re mine. I think I knew you were mine the minute I realized who the Ten Rings wanted me to save. I am not losing you to some mind fuck that Hydra likes to play.”

 

Tony sags against him a bit, and Bruce braces him against the tile. Tony isn’t responding with much other than soft moans, so he at least enjoys the manhandling, but he’s not hard.

 

Hell, neither is Bruce, not really. He’s too worried right now.

 

Bruce remembers the quiet devastation on Steve’s face when he talked about Bucky, and losing Bucky, and Bruce doesn’t want to believe that Tony would break. He wants to believe that they’d get him back, that Tony would have escaped, or pretended enough to escape, but there’s no guarantee.

 

Steve probably wanted to believe the same thing, even after knowing what they’d turned Bucky Barnes into.

 

But Tony is here, and that’s what matters right now. Bruce will stitch the pieces back together; he’s done it before.

 

~~~~~

 

After a shower under Bruce’s gentle hands, and a clean set of his own clothes, Tony’s head feels a little clearer.

 

He wants to believe that he’s going to be fine, and that Hydra didn’t leave any landmines behind.

 

Tony meets Matty and Aaron in the kitchen. Skye is in the dining room, which has about four laptops running, and she’s plugging information in and speaking quietly to Kara. There’s a plate of sandwiches on the counter, and while Tony doesn’t feel terribly hungry, he knows he should eat.

 

“We should talk about a press conference,” Matty says as Tony takes a bite.

 

Bruce, who had followed Tony to the kitchen, makes a sound of protest. “No way. We’re not doing that.”

 

“Not here,” Matty says quickly. “Of course not. But unless you want to fake your death, I think we need to get ahead of this. Like it or not, you’re both public figures.”

 

“And the public has a right to know?” Bruce asks, a bitter twist to his mouth.

 

Matty shrugs, clearly unwilling to push too hard, but Tony knows he’s right, and they had hired him to do this job.

 

“He’s right, Bruce,” Tony says quietly. “You know the military has been bringing a lot of force down to bear on SHIELD. If we spin this correctly, I think we can put a spoke in their wheel, force them to cooperate with us.”

 

Bruce shakes his head, but he waves Matty on.

 

“What were you thinking, Tony?” Matty asks, pulling out his phone and beginning to take notes.

 

Tony shrugs. “In spite of my best efforts, I was unable to effectuate my escape until a brave, selfless SHIELD agent who was undercover undertook a singlehanded rescue, etc. The agent needs to remain anonymous for reasons, but she got me out in the nick of time.” He smiles. “It has the benefit of being true.”

 

Matty lights up at that. “Yes, that’s it exactly. Can I intimate that the military has perhaps not been as interested in tracking down Hydra as they ought to be, and that maybe it’s their fault Hydra was able to capture and torture you?”

 

Aaron makes a small sound at that.

 

“It’s better to call it torture than what it actually was,” Tony replies. “Although I suppose it’s just semantics at some point. It’s not the first time, and it probably won’t be the last. And yes, absolutely. Someone needs to call the military to account, and it might as well be us.”

 

“It would be better to have it in the city,” Matty suggests. “We can probably stick to a press release for a few days, but we’re going to need to get you in front of the cameras eventually.”

 

“Three days,” Bruce says. “There are some things we need to set in motion, but we can probably be at the Tower in three days, although we won’t be staying there.”

 

Matty nods. “Okay. That’s doable. I’m going to work on the press release, and I’ll send it to you for approval. Have either of you called Pepper?”

 

Tony sighs. “No. Fuck. I don’t have a phone.”

 

Matty hands him his.

 

Tony steps out onto the back porch for the pretense of privacy and really hopes that Pepper picks up, and isn’t in a meeting.

 

“Matty? Did Bruce make it to the farm okay?” Pepper asks, sounding a little breathless.

 

“It’s me,” Tony replies simply.

 

She lets out an audible sigh. “Oh, thank god. Are you okay?”

 

“I’m in one piece,” Tony replies.

 

“You have to stop _doing_ this to me, Tony!” Pepper’s voice is sharp.

 

Tony laughs. “Yeah, well, tell the terrorists to leave me alone then.”

 

She laughs at that, too, although there’s an edge of hysteria in her voice. “Okay. Are you and Matty working out a plan? I can come back to the Tower.”

 

“Yeah, talk to Matty,” Tony replies. “I, I have to go, but I’ll see you soon.”

 

“Tony,” she says softly. “Are you _sure_ you’re okay?”

 

“Of course,” he replies. “I’ll be fine. I’ll see you soon.”

 

Tony hangs up, and he knows that he can’t tell anybody what actually happened. Oh, he can tell Bruce, and he needs to tell the rest of the team, and maybe Coulson, that Hydra has a means of brainwashing previously loyal people.

 

He might be cocky, but Tony knows that he was maybe a week away from capitulating, and who knows how long it would take to get him back.

 

Although if Hydra had any idea just how stubborn Bruce is, they wouldn’t have even tried.

 

When Tony enters the kitchen, Matty and Aaron are packing up, although Aaron appears reluctant to leave. Tony hears the whine of a Quinjet engine setting down in the front yard.

 

“Who are we expecting?” Tony asks.

 

“That should be Jen and her escort,” Bruce replies and holds up his phone to show the confirmation text. “They’re going to be taking Skye back.”

 

“Actually, I’m going to go, too.” Tony turns to see Kara hovering in the doorway. “I have a debriefing with Director Coulson scheduled, and I think my work here is done.”

 

“You could stay,” Tony offers. “I owe you.”

 

She shakes her head decisively. “I’ve got a job to do, too, and I’d better get to it.”

 

And then she crosses the room in a few quick steps to give Tony a hug. “I’m glad I got to rescue Iron Man.”

 

“Me, too,” Tony replies. “I owe you.”

 

“Take down Hydra,” she replies. “And we’ll call it even.”

 

Kara shakes Bruce’s hand, but Bruce pulls her close to whisper something in her ear that makes her laugh. “Take care of him,” she replies.

 

Bruce heads out to say a quick goodbye to Skye, who says, “Call me if you need a hacker, doc. Any time.”

 

And then they’re in the front yard. The pilot hasn’t powered down the Quinjet, so Tony figures they must be in something of a hurry. Jennifer exits, waves at Skye and Kara as they pass her, and then she launches herself at Tony.

 

“You can’t _do_ that again!” she exclaims, holding him tightly.

 

“Can’t breathe,” Tony replies, only half-joking.

 

She eases off a bit, but not by much. “Do you know how worried we were?”

 

“I have a little bit of an idea,” he admits. “I’m sorry for getting myself shot down by an EMP.”

 

“You’d better be,” she scolds, and then moves on to Bruce.

 

Tony blinks rapidly to clear his vision, hoping he doesn’t appear too choked up as he bids Matty and Aaron farewell with plans to meet in New York in a few days for the press conference.

 

Tony wants nothing more to retreat, but he knows he can’t. They can’t afford him to be anything less than on his game, and they don’t have the time.

 

“Here,” Jennifer says, holding out her phone. “You need to call Colonel Rhodes. He’s worried sick.”

 

Tony nods, taking the phone in order to disappear around back, away from the people. She’s already dialed the number, so he just needs to press “send.”

 

“Jennifer?” Rhodey asks as soon as he picks up. “Any news?”

 

Tony sighs, resigning himself to a lot of these conversations. “It’s me.”

 

“Tony!” There’s a long pause, and he says, “You don’t know how good it is to hear your voice. How are you doing?”

 

Tony closes his eyes. “I’m in one piece.”

 

Rhodey hesitantly asks, “Physically or mentally?”

 

“Physically,” Tony admits. “Not sure about the rest of it yet.”

 

“I’m coming to you,” Rhodey replies.

 

“No, man,” Tony protests. “There are things I need to tell you, but I don’t want to put you in jeopardy.”

 

Rhodey snorts. “Try to stop me. Also, Bruce texted me the coordinates while you were on the phone with Pepper. I might be on my way already.”

 

Tony huffs a laugh. “Why am I not surprised?”

 

“He said it was an all-hands situation, and that included me,” Rhodey replies. “Is there a reason I should think otherwise?”

 

Tony swallows. “No. No, it’s—it’s bad.”

 

“Worse than we thought?” Rhodey asks gently.

 

 _It depends on if Hydra got to me_ , Tony thinks but doesn’t say. _It depends on if they left something behind that’s going to blow up in our faces._

 

“I don’t know yet,” Tony says instead. “But we’re going to need you.”

 

“I’ll be there soon,” Rhodey promises. “Let Banner take care of you, okay?”

 

And then he hangs up.

 

Tony stands there with the phone in his hand, staring out into the trees growing on the property’s edge, and he doesn’t know how he feels.

 

“Hey.”

 

“Hey,” Tony says, turning to Bruce. “Is everybody here?”

 

“Steve and Clint just arrived, and Natasha and Sam should be here within the hour,” Bruce replies, tucking his hands in his pockets. “Colonel Rhodes?”

 

“A few hours,” Tony replies. “You called him.”

 

“I figured he had a right to know, and to be involved if it suited him,” Bruce replies. “He gave Jen some valuable intel while we were laying low.”

 

Tony lets out a breath. “What about Thor?”

 

“Also on his way,” Bruce replies. “Although he’s a little harder to reach, since I’m pretty sure he’s used to communicating through ravens.”

 

Tony stares at him.

 

“That was actually a joke, but it’s entirely true that he doesn’t quite understand cell phones, so I contacted him through Jane Foster.” Bruce smiles crookedly. “Never mind.”

 

“No, it’s…” Tony trails off.

 

“Norse mythology says Odin had a couple of ravens that advised him,” Bruce says. “I may have done some reading.”

 

“I love you,” Tony says helplessly.

 

“That feeling is _yours_ ,” Bruce replies quietly. “That’s all you, Tony.”

 

Tony lets out a breath in relief, because that part of him, that emotion, hasn’t changed one bit. He can use Bruce as his touchstone, and that hasn’t changed.

 

He pulls Bruce in close and just breathes him in. “Okay. Okay.”

 

“You didn’t eat,” Bruce says quietly.

 

“I will,” Tony replies. “But in a minute.”

 

When they go back into the house, Steve and Clint are there, and they’ve made significant inroads on the platter of sandwiches, but Tony doesn’t feel terribly hungry.

 

“Hey,” Bruce says quietly. “Pass that over here.”

 

Steve and Clint wear identical guilty expressions and scoot the platter towards Tony. “Sorry,” Clint says.

 

“I’m okay,” Tony says.

 

“And I’m glad to hear that,” Steve replies. “Take a sandwich, because Bruce is the team mom, which means what he says goes.”

 

Bruce rolls his eyes but says, “You heard him.”

 

“I’m not going to let that die any time soon,” Tony replies.

 

“Wait until I start using that appellation with intent,” Bruce warns.

 

Tony takes a bite, knowing when he’s beat.

 

“We’ll wait for the briefing until Natasha and Sam show up,” Steve says. “There’s no sense going over the information more than once.”

 

Tony eats his sandwich, although it tastes like sawdust in his mouth. Which sucks, because Tony likes Bruce’s cooking. Even if it’s not cooking, strictly speaking.

 

Bruce keeps an arm around the back of Tony’s chair, remaining in constant contact, and Tony appreciates that.

 

He’s feeling a little steadier by the time Natasha and Sam arrive, partially because of the sandwich, and partially because he just lets the conversation of people he likes and cares about wash over him.

 

It’s a different sort of white noise, but Tony finds himself relaxing.

 

“All right, let’s get started,” Steve says once everybody settles around the table. Natasha is wearing a suit, as is Sam, and they both peel their jackets off with a sigh of relief. “How did you two make out?”

 

Natasha shrugs. “Well enough. I wore a mask the whole week while I posed as someone from Legal.”

 

“I just got hired on as security,” Sam replies. “My clearance wasn’t that high, but I was able to pick up some interesting information.”

 

Steve nods. “Good. Clint and I have enough information to begin planning for Sokovia. It’s a fortress, and there’s been some unusual activity. They also appear to have a couple of powered people, but we can’t tell whether they’re willing participants or hostages.” He turns to Tony. “But Tony, we need to know what happened to you. There were no threats or ransom demands, and I think most of us expected one.”

 

Tony’s stomach twists. “Yeah, well, I think I have first hand experience on how they managed to brainwash your buddy into being their unpaid assassin.”

 

Bruce rests his hand on Tony’s shoulder, squeezing tightly. “Tell them about Ultron, Tony. We can talk about the techniques they used later; we might be able to reverse engineer them to help save Steve’s friend.”

 

Tony closes his eyes, remembering the face of the Winter Soldier in the video, and finds it in himself to let that betrayal go.

 

At least enough to agree with the merits of the plan.

 

“They wanted to brainwash me to serve Hydra,” Tony replies. “Apparently, they have Ultron, but they want me to turn him into something more like Jarvis.”

 

Steve frowns. “I don’t understand.”

 

Tony glances at Bruce and shakes his head. He’s still not sure how to explain it, because Jarvis is _Jarvis_ , both alive and not. To Tony, he’s a real person, but in the strictest sense of the word, he’s not.

 

Bruce sighs. “Jarvis is an incredibly advanced AI, and can easily pass the Turing test by exhibiting intelligent behavior normally seen in humans. But he’s not a person, and he doesn’t want to _be_ a person. Jarvis is unique, and it could be said that he’s content in his uniqueness.”

 

“I created Jarvis to be helpful to me, and he is,” Tony adds. “That’s his prime directive, as it were. Hydra wants a Jarvis that will be enslaved to their goals and aims.”

 

The others all have dawning horror on their faces. “What do they have now?” Natasha asks.

 

Tony shrugs. “They have an AI built on the base code of Project Insight whose goals mostly align with theirs at present, but with no real interest in serving their interests long term. They have an AI that wants to be a person.”

 

“A person is easier to fight,” Sam points out uncertainly. “I mean, the Hulk could smash a robot to pieces.”

 

“A single robot, yes,” Bruce replies. “Maybe even an army of robots. But Ultron is more than just a body. It’s also a source code, like Jarvis, and Jarvis isn’t in any one location either.”

 

“No, he’s on every American military base out there.” Rhodey enters the room, looking haggard. “Tony.”

 

Tony accepts the hug and clings a bit, because for whatever their differences, Rhodey has put his career on the line, and Tony knows just how much that means. “Thanks for coming.”

 

“Of course,” he replies. He shakes Bruce’s hand, nods to the others, and finds a seat. “Ultron has access to most of our military bases to coordinate defense and attacks. Folks are beginning to figure out that it’s not entirely under our control. Some are saying there are just glitches and are waiting for Pym to fix it, but there are a few who recognize that things are bad right now.”

 

“What are we going to do?” Steve asks. “I mean, how can we even fight this thing?”

 

“That’s not all,” Natasha inserts. “That’s the intel I managed to dig up at Pym Technologies. Pym came up with a piece of tech, and he left SHIELD because they wanted to weaponize it. Ultron was supposed to be his big coup, but he’s lost control of his company, and Darren Cross has nearly perfected the technology and plans to sell it to the highest bidder.”

 

“Is this the suit?” Jennifer inserts. “The one that shrinks people?”

 

“You found information on this in the files?” Bruce asks.

 

Jennifer nods. “Yeah, sure. You put the suit on, and you shrink down. Someone who has it could enter a building without anybody knowing. Or a bank vault, or hell, the White House. And they do their nefarious deeds, and no one is ever the wiser.”

 

“Darren Cross wants to sell it, and he doesn’t care who he sells it to,” Natasha says bluntly.

 

“Fuck,” Bruce says. “We can’t let them do that. If Hydra gets it—”

 

“Or if a warlord or dictator gets it,” Steve interrupts. “I agree. We can’t leave this in their hands, but it’s not like we can waltz right in there and steal it.”

 

“Actually,” Bruce says. “I’ve been coming up with a plan to do just that. But first, I think I need to talk to Pym.”

 

“What, no!” Tony objects, loudly. “Why would you do that?”

 

“Because we need more information on Ultron if we’re going to stop it,” Bruce replies patiently. “If we’re going to use a computer virus, a Trojan, whatever, we need to know how best to target it to minimize collateral damage.”

 

Tony is still shaking his head. “But why you?”

 

“He’s right.” Rhodey appears apologetic. “That was going to be my contribution. I can get a few people in to see Pym, but it has to be soon. Bruce can fly under the radar, but anybody going with him is going to need to be in uniform, and they’re going to need to be inconspicuous.”

 

“Natasha can go!” Tony protests. “It doesn’t have to be Bruce. She can blend.”

 

Bruce sighs. “Tony, Pym hates you, and he hates that he wasn’t able to bring me over onto his side. Natasha is the best at finding which buttons to push, but in this case, _I’m his button_. I walk into that room, and half the work is already done. The rest of it, I can do in my sleep.”

 

“He’s right,” Natasha adds. “I could get the job done, but I believe that Bruce can do it in half the time, and given the parameters, I think fast is better.”

 

“We’ll have to be off the base by the time the shift changes,” Rhodey says. “I can only guarantee our safety up until then.”

 

“I don’t want to let you out of my sight,” Bruce says in an undertone, “but we need to know where best to strike. They tried to brainwash you, Tony, and I can’t let that stand.”

 

Tony presses his forehead to Bruce’s shoulder. “Yeah, okay.”

 

“Clint and I will go with him,” Steve offers. “Once we’re in uniform, nobody’s going to look at us twice.”

 

“He’s right,” Rhodey says. “And I’ll be there the whole time.”

 

“Natasha, Sam, Jennifer, Thor should be arriving shortly. I want you to go over our notes from Sokovia, and see if there’s additional recon we need before striking,” Steve says. “Tony, whatever you can do to create a plan of attack, or figure out how many additional personnel we’ll need, we need that information.”

 

Tony nods unhappily.

 

“Bruce, Clint, we’re wheels up in five,” Steve says. “I anticipate coming straight back here, so we shouldn’t need much in the way of gear. And Clint, I know you hate guns, but—”

 

Clint shrugs. “The bow is too distinctive. Not my first rodeo, Cap.”

 

Bruce presses a kiss to Tony’s temple. “I’m sorry about this, and I don’t want to leave you, but—”

 

“You have to,” Tony replies, and he knows that, of the two of them, Bruce is the more pragmatic one. The one who will make decisions he might hate himself for later, even when he’s making the right call.

 

“I’ll be back as soon as I can,” Bruce promises, and Tony pretends not to see the look he shoots to Jennifer, who nods in return.

 

Tony suspects that he’s not going to be alone again any time soon.

 

~~~~~

 

Rhodey is back in the Iron Patriot suit when Bruce joins the others on the Quinjet reserved for the Avengers’ use. Bruce sits down behind the copilot’s seat, leaving Rhodes to stand behind Clint, who’s piloting. Steve is copiloting, and both are wearing regular street clothes. “What can you tell us?”

 

“The Joint Chiefs decided to hold Pym in an isolated location out of a concern for his life,” Rhodes admits. “I honestly didn’t know where he was until earlier today. They’re keeping it need to know only, and are limiting the information to word of mouth. It’s very low tech.”

 

“They’re worried that Ultron will get to Pym,” Bruce guesses.

 

“He’s the only one they think might be able to put the brakes on,” Rhodes admits. “And I do mean just that. They still think the idea of Ultron can be salvaged.”

 

“Are they that suspicious of us?” Clint asks, finishing up his pre-flight checks and taking off smoothly.

 

Rhodes sighs. “In a word, yes. After what happened with SHIELD and Hydra, and with Fury letting things go on right under his nose? They want someone or something they can control, and Tony’s already proven that’s not possible.”

 

“We probably didn’t help with that either,” Steve admits quietly. “With releasing secrets like that.”

 

“No, that didn’t help,” Rhodes agrees. “Look, as far as I can tell, public opinion is still on the Avengers’ side, but the Joint Chiefs want weapons.” He pauses. “I’ve heard stories about a prison being built for people with special abilities now that SHIELD isn’t holding them.”

 

“That’s not good,” Steve mutters. “What do we know about Pym’s role in all this?”

 

“I think he hates Tony, SHIELD, and by extension, the Avengers,” Rhodes admits. “I think it got away from him, and now he doesn’t know how to stop it and won’t admit as much.”

 

“If we can get him to admit it?” Bruce asks.

 

Rhodes shakes his head. “If we’re lucky, the military finally admits that they need us to shut it down.”

 

“And if we’re not?” Steve asks.

 

“Then I think we’ll have to do it ourselves, any way we deem necessary, and it might land us all in hot water,” Rhodes replies. “But that’s better than watching the world burn.”

 

The rest of the flight is made in silence. The military is holding Pym on a decommissioned base in South Dakota that used to hold part of the nuclear arsenal. On Rhodes’ advice, Clint sets the Quinjet down a few miles away. They’ve been in stealth mode, and no one tries to shoot them down, so Bruce assumes their presence has either gone undetected, or they’ve been given a pass.

 

Thirty minutes later, a man wearing an Air Force uniform pulls up, and from the way Rhodes greets them, Bruce assumes they’re friends.

 

“Thanks for doing this, Bob,” he says, stepping out of the suit.

 

“I’d tell you that I’m going out on a limb, but I figure you already know that,” Bob replies, shaking his hand. “I brought uniforms. I just hope they fit. I had to estimate sizes. If anybody asks, you’re on a joint task force.”

 

Rhodes is already wearing his uniform, and Clint and Steve seem to have no problem stripping down and pulling on the camouflage pants and shirt. Bob glances at Bruce and says, “I’d rather sell Dr. Banner as a civilian contractor. We’ve been bringing a few on the base to pick Pym’s brain and see if they can get a handle on Ultron, so it won’t be hard.”

 

Bruce has nothing against the military in general, at least not in theory, but he’s had enough bad experiences that he’s happy to do without the uniform. Besides, without a quick haircut, he’ll never pass. “That’s doable.”

 

“I can buy you an hour,” Bob continues. “But I suggest you be off the base by then. If not, I can’t guarantee the outcome.”

 

Bruce grimaces. He doesn’t like having so little time, but beggars can’t be choosers, and based on the information Tony got from Hydra, Bruce has something really specific to needle him with.

 

They pile into the Jeep Bob is driving, and Bruce tugs his jacket into place. He knows he’s rumpled, but he’s hoping that just lets him fly under the radar.

 

Bob flashes ID at the gate and says, “I told you I was bringing guests.”

 

“Sure thing, sir,” the man says, checking Rhodes’ ID and glancing at the others. “Colonel Mason has cleared your presence on the base, but his second-in-command will hear about you being here when he comes on duty in a couple of hours.”

 

“Understood,” Rhodes replies. “Thanks.”

 

Bob drives them to a building on the base, and there are guards outside the doors. “They’re my guys, but I’m going to stay outside. Jim should be able to get you in with his ID.”

 

“I’m going to be a lookout,” Clint replies. “I’ll set up nearby.”

 

Rhodes and Steve flank Bruce as they enter, and Rhodes shows ID to the guards and has a quiet word with them. The soldier nods and waves them inside. “Dr. Pym is in the third office on the left.”

 

The hallway is plain and bare, with only photographs of the current president and the joint chiefs on the walls, as well as an American flag in a corner at the end of the hallway.

 

Bruce knocks briefly on the door, hearing Pym say, “Come in,” before he enters.

 

Pym stares briefly, and then he smiles. “Have you come to join the revolution?”

 

“And what revolution would that be?” Bruce asks, deciding to play the game for now.

 

Pym spreads his hands. “A world without war, where American soldiers no longer have to die in order to protect our interests.”

 

Bruce pulls a chair out. “Can I sit?”

 

“Of course,” Pym replies. “How is Mr. Stark? Have you heard from him yet?”

 

Bruce manages to keep a pleasant smile on his face even though he wants nothing more than to punch Pym in the throat.

 

And no, he wouldn’t go green to do it, because it would deprive him of the personal satisfaction.

 

“Yes, I have heard from him,” Bruce replies. “In fact, an undercover SHIELD operative helped him escape from Hydra.”

 

Some emotion flickers across Pym’s face before he’s able to summon up a sympathetic smile. “They didn’t hurt him too badly, did they?”

 

“No, I think he’ll make a full recovery in time,” Bruce replies.

 

“That’s good,” Pym replies. “Well, with Ultron on the job, I’m sure Tony will have that much more time to get better.”

 

Bruce chooses the oblique approach. “Yes, well, you did create Ultron to replace the Avengers.”

 

“The Army approached me first,” Pym admits. “They had a compelling argument. The Avengers aren’t exactly in the chain of command, and Captain Rogers worked for SHIELD for years before Hydra showed themselves.”

 

Bruce can sense, rather than see, Steve gathering himself for a sharp retort, and Bruce holds up a hand, stilling him. “I recall that you worked for SHIELD, at least briefly.”

 

“Touché,” Pym replies. “But I sensed the rot at the core, and got out.”

 

“But didn’t alert anyone,” Bruce counters.

 

Pym shrugs. “You haven’t seen hero worship until you’ve seen how SHIELD and other authorities venerated Peggy Carter and Howard Stark.”

 

Bruce nods. “Much like with the Avengers. With the exception of the Hulk, of course.”

 

“The Hulk came in for his share of praise when the Chitauri were defeated,” Pym counters.

 

“Which didn’t deter you from offering me a job on multiple occasions.”

 

“I thought I had a better use for you than building weapons,” Pym says.

 

Bruce doesn’t rise to the bait. “I am a weapon.”

 

Pym inclines his head. “Point, but I knew you had control, and I was prepared to offer you a stress-free environment.”

 

“What do you want your legacy to be?” Bruce asks, managing to sound honestly curious. “Because from where I’m sitting right now, it’s not going to be good, not when the news hits that you created Ultron, and Hydra has control of it.”

 

Pym’s smile freezes. “That’s quite the accusation, Dr. Banner.”

 

“It’s why Hydra captured Tony and attempted to force him to work with them,” Bruce replies. “Did you not think about the ramifications of using Project Insight for Ultron’s base code?”

 

Pym’s mouth curls in a snarl. “How dare you. There’s no way you could know that if you weren’t doing something highly illegal.”

 

“The theft of weapons and vibranium isn’t illegal?” Bruce asks. “The kidnapping of an American citizen to torture him into improving the thing that you made isn’t illegal?”

 

“You’re lying.”

 

Bruce smiles. “No, I’m not. You did such a piss poor job with Ultron that not only is it now under Hydra’s control, but they need Tony Stark to fix it for them. And they were so desperate to get that done, they took the risk of kidnapping him. Because just like Howard Stark, you were too stupid to know who you were really working for.”

 

“I was trying to save lives!” Pym shouts. “I wanted Ultron to protect us from threats, including you!”

 

“Where is Ultron?” Bruce asks, cutting to the chase. “Did you build in a failsafe?”

 

Pym is quiet for a long moment. “Failsafes can be exploited.”

 

“So, no, you were too stupid even for that,” Bruce says, disgusted. “You realize what this means, don’t you? You handed one of the most potent weapons created to date to Hydra, and now the Avengers have to clean up your mess.”

 

Pym laughs bitterly. “And if you do, what then?” he asks. “You’ll cause another mess, and they’ll want to control you all the more.”

 

“What’s the alternative?” Bruce demands. “Let Hydra have Ultron and watch the world burn?”

 

Pym is quiet, and then he asks, “Do you ever wonder if in our efforts to improve the world, we make things worse?”

 

It’s the first sensible thing that has come out of Pym’s mouth, and he wonders where the conversation might have gone if they’d started here.

 

“All the time,” Bruce admits. “But the other option is to do nothing.”

 

Pym drums his fingers on the desk. “You know I’ve been shut out of Pym Technologies. I wanted to do something—I wanted to leave a better legacy.”

 

“I understand that,” Bruce replies, gentling his tone.

 

“Darren Cross cannot be allowed to sell my life’s work. Ultron was supposed to keep that from happening,” Pym admits. “But I can’t give it to you. You understand, right?”

 

Bruce nods. “Yes. Be careful, Pym. If they got to me, and they got to Tony, there’s nothing to say they won’t be able to get to you, too.”

 

Pym waves airily. “What do you think all this is for?”

 

Bruce rises and goes to the door, and Pym calls out, “If you see my daughter, will you tell her—never mind.”

 

“I’ll tell her you asked after her,” Bruce replies, and then leaves.

 

“What was that last part about?” Steve asks in an undertone as they head out.

 

Bruce sighs. “ _That_ was tacit agreement and permission to steal the thing we were probably going to end up stealing anyway. Or it could have been a trap, but Pym is right about one thing.”

 

“What’s that?”

 

“There are some things that absolutely cannot fall into the wrong hands, and it’s not just tech, it’s people, too,” Bruce replies.

 

~~~~~

 

Tony just wants Bruce back. He wants Bruce safe, he wants the rest of the team safe, he wants a break. He just wants a fucking _break_.

 

Tony wants a beach vacation with no emergencies or murderbots or kidnappings. He wants some time with his husband. He wants to sleep in his bed in his own home, and spend some time in his own lab, and maybe if he’s feeling generous, have a team dinner.

 

As it stands, he isn’t going to get anything other than the team dinner, and while Bruce advised him to get some rest, Tony doesn’t want to stay inside and cooped up.

 

He ambles outside, and isn’t too surprised when Jennifer follows him outside. “I’m fine,” he calls.

 

“I didn’t say you weren’t,” she replies. “But the last time you were alone, you got grabbed.”

 

“That was a little different.”

 

“We don’t have to talk, we can just wander silently,” Jennifer offers.

 

Silence suddenly sounds like a terrible idea; Tony doesn’t actually want to be alone with his own thoughts right now. “Yeah, no, talk to me. Tell me what’s been going on.”

 

“Not much,” Jennifer replies. “At least not on my end. I mostly played _Mortal Kombat_ with Mack and Fitz and sifted through the SHIELD data. Bruce has been working on finding someone who can break into Pym Technologies and liberate the thing we don’t want Hydra to have. Another hacker, Brixton, is trying to figure out where Ultron is located.”

 

“Once I have that information, I can put Jarvis on rooting out Ultron,” Tony replies. “I’d put my AI up against Pym’s any day.”

 

“Is it really going to be that easy, though?” Jennifer asks. “This threat seems more than casual, Tony.”

 

Tony sighs. “It’s not casual. The only good news in any of this is that Hydra doesn’t have full control of Ultron. They’re apparently working together, or maybe Hydra is exploiting Ultron, but they wouldn’t have tried to brainwash me into helping if things were running smoothly.”

 

Jennifer nods. “That makes sense. What about the thefts?”

 

“Weapons, vibranium, biochemical processes,” Tony ticks off. “Best guess is that Ultron wants a body and an army of robots, and Hydra might be giving him the leeway to do just that.”

 

Jennifer frowns. “That would make taking out the Hydra base is even more important and that much more dangerous.”

 

Tony nods. “We need a small army.” He sighs. “I really wish I still had all of my suits.”

 

“You still have the plans for them, right?” Jennifer asks. “You could make more?”

 

“Not in the time we have, and I only have half a dozen ready at the moment,” Tony replies, distracted. “Matty and Aaron brought the toys I’d been working on, didn’t they?”

 

“Yeah, I think so,” Jennifer replies. “We could go do an inventory if you’d feel better, and I think Bruce made sure the basement was stocked with tools.”

 

Tony hesitates, and then says, “Yeah, but I don’t—”

 

“It’s cool,” Jennifer says. “I think I know where they stashed the stuff.”

 

The basement is something of a revelation. Maybe it doesn’t have everything Tony might want, but it has a lot of things. There are enough tools to fix the suit, to fix motherboards, to do most things.

 

He can’t build a suit of armor in this room, but he can repair one. He can’t fabricate a Quinjet, but he can plan a better one.

 

He catalogs the items Matty and Aaron brought and realizes there are a few things he still wants to retrieve from the Tower. “I’m still missing a few things, but this is a good start.”

 

“Well, you have to go into the city for the press conference, right?” Jennifer asks reasonably. “We can pick them up then.”

 

“I need my suit, too,” Tony replies, a little absently. “In fact, I may just call one to me here. It would probably be good to have.”

 

“It might make you feel better,” Jennifer replies.

 

Tony shakes his head. “I don’t think anything is going to make me _feel_ better. I don’t—I _wanted_ to do what they wanted at the end. I was _this close_ to giving them everything they asked for, and what if I had? Or what if there’s some booby-trap in my brain, and I do something that gets someone killed?”

 

She actually goes green at that, and then she hugs him. Tony has never been hugged by a Hulk, but she’s bigger than him when she’s green, and she feels solid. If he can’t have Bruce, Jen makes a good substitute.

 

“Okay,” she says, her voice a little rumbly. “Okay, Tony. Bruce and I aren’t going to let that happen. We’ll figure out what their process was, and we’ll make sure you’re safe. Hey, did I tell you about this case I tried a few years ago?”

 

Tony doesn’t even pay attention to the words, just that Jennifer is talking, and there’s someone hanging on to him as though she’s trying to hold him together.

 

Eventually, she relaxes, and they head out to the front porch and sit on the steps, her arm looped through his, providing a physical connection. Tony is still shaking a little bit, and he recognizes the after-effects of a panic attack. He feels stupid, but he was probably due one.

 

“Are you okay?” she asks.

 

“Yeah,” Tony replies. “I just—I feel like I should have done something.”

 

“You survived.” Natasha’s voice startles him, and a glass half-full of amber liquid appears in front of his face. “You held on until someone could rescue you. There’s no shame in that.”

 

He appreciates her words, but is more grateful for the drink in his hand, which he gulps back. “There was nothing I could do.”

 

“Then there was nothing you could do,” Jennifer says quietly. “We _know_ that. You got lucky. We _all_ got lucky.”

 

“Hydra has had a long time to figure out the most effective and efficient means of brainwashing someone,” Natasha points out. “It’s extremely fortunate that Agent 33 took it upon herself to locate you.”

 

Tony doesn’t trust himself to reply, so instead he sits between Jen and Natasha, and he leans a little bit on Jen and lets Natasha keep his glass topped up. When the Quinjet lands on the lawn, Tony has a buzz on but he’s not drunk.

 

Rhodey and Bruce are the first out of the Quinjet, and Tony is a little surprised to see how they move around each other. There’s a lot less discomfort than there had been in the past.

 

“Hey, man,” Rhodey says when they get close, clapping Tony on the shoulder. “Look, I’m on leave. Bruce said he didn’t mind me staying here tonight.”

 

“No, that’s fine,” Tony says automatically. “Of course it’s fine. Stay however long you want.”

 

“I might need to go AWOL,” Rhodey warns him.

 

Tony glances at Jennifer. “I know a good attorney.”

 

“I’d need a JAG attorney, Tony,” Rhodey replies, but gently. “But I’m sure Jennifer is great.”

 

“Damn straight,” she says.

 

“Hey, what are we doing?” Sam asks, coming out on the porch.

 

“We are getting Tony drunk enough that he can sleep,” Jennifer replies easily. “And also convincing him it wasn’t his fault he couldn’t rescue himself.”

 

“And we are so off topic!” Tony protests.

 

Bruce steps in, as he is so good at doing, “And also, we are going to have a strategy session first thing in the morning, and I will make breakfast for everybody, but right now, we’re going to bed.”

 

Clint and Steve have followed them, and they both smirk. “Maybe we should do a strategy session tonight,” Steve says.

 

“Maybe certain _people_ should avoid making me angry after I’ve spent the week _without my husband_ , and we’ve had _maybe_ fifteen minutes alone,” Bruce suggests pleasantly, but with a lot of teeth.

 

“Okay, so it’s past my bedtime,” Tony says brightly. “’night, everybody.”

 

“Very smooth,” Bruce says as soon as the bedroom door is closed behind them.

 

“You just threatened to go green in front of everybody if you didn’t get your nookie,” Tony teases.

 

Bruce shrugs. “Tony, if you knew how close I was to losing it this last week on multiple occasions, you would know that wasn’t a threat. That was a promise.”

 

“Come here,” Tony replies. They stretch out on the bed together. “I am really sorry I got kidnapped without you.”

 

“I’m really sorry I couldn’t find you,” Bruce replies.

 

Tony threads his fingers through Bruce’s hair. “Hey, no. If I can’t feel bad about getting shot out of the sky with an EMP and not being able to escape from those assholes, then you don’t get to feel bad about not getting to rescue me.”

 

“I think we can feel bad, but wallowing is out,” Bruce says with a smile.

 

Tony nods. “I know we’re having the briefing tomorrow, but Pym—”

 

“Is an asshole, but he told me enough to give us a place to start,” Bruce replies. “And we basically have tacit permission to steal his stuff.”

 

“I have some ideas along those lines as well,” Tony admits. “And hey, I love you.”

 

“Love you, too,” Bruce says, and then Tony proceeds to lose himself in Bruce for a long time, relishing the feeling of skin on skin and hot breath and wet tongue.

 

And when he sleeps, he wraps himself around Bruce, needing the comfort of human touch.


	5. Chapter 5

Jennifer wakes up early the next morning, knowing that they’re going to be hashing everything out that day, and wanting to be prepared. She treats it like she’s getting ready to make a case in court, because their plans may end up relying upon her presentation of the facts.

 

“Hey,” Bruce says, dropping a kiss on her forehead as he passes through the dining room. “Breakfast?”

 

“Yeah, do you need some help?”

 

“No, you work on that,” Bruce replies. “It’s important, and the only thing I have to do is report on Pym and the last week’s information. Did you get the profile from Skye?”

 

“She sent the dossier for her choice,” Jennifer confirms. “And she forwarded on a preliminary report from that other hacker, Brixton. I’m folding that information in with the rest of it.”

 

Bruce pats her shoulder. “Good job. And thanks for looking after Tony yesterday.”

 

“He’s family,” Jennifer says easily. “Of course. What are you making?”

 

“That hash brown casserole,” Bruce replies. “I figure it will make enough to feed an army.”

 

Jennifer sits up a little straighter. “Is that the one Mom would make for holidays?”

 

“That’s the one,” Bruce confirms. “I figured a little pure comfort food is what’s needed right now.”

 

“Definitely,” she replies. “Let me know if I can help.”

 

Bruce’s question did remind her of the new information she received from Skye, though, and she works to incorporate that into her account. She’s divided the information into targets, objectives, and timelines. Skye’s dossier is slotted under targets, the information they’ve gleaned from Pym Technology and SHIELD under objectives. What they’ve been able to find on Ultron goes in a completely separate section, since Ultron is a combination of all those things.

 

She has a handy-dandy powerpoint complete with charts and pictures, even a few graphics.

 

This is what happens when an attorney gets superpowers.

 

The others begin to filter in. The farmhouse is large with four bedrooms and three bathrooms, and Jennifer is impressed that Bruce found this place. It’s big enough for the entire team, if they squeeze in, and Steve at least thought the place is defensible.

 

Sam sits down next to her, his hands wrapped around a steaming mug. “Can I get you a refill?”

 

Jennifer glances up. “Would you?”

 

“No problem,” Sam replies. “Anybody else?”

 

Clint and Steve both have their own mugs already, but Natasha nods, and Sam heads to the kitchen. “I see you’ve got him trained,” Clint mutters.

 

“Excuse you,” Jennifer replies, without looking up from her laptop. “Sam came that way, and if anybody needs to be trained, it’s me. I’m terrible at relationships.”

 

“You aren’t terrible,” Bruce says, following Sam into the room with a carafe of orange juice. “You’re picky, which is good. Breakfast in 30. That give you enough time, Jen?”

 

“Plenty,” she replies. “You sure you don’t need any help?”

 

“I may come to regret this, but Tony’s working on the fruit salad.”

 

“I heard that!” Tony calls. “And it doesn’t involve actual cooking, so I’m fine. I can handle a knife.”

 

Natasha hunches over her mug. “I’m going to laugh _so hard_ if he cuts a finger off.”

 

“Be gentle with him,” Bruce orders. “He’s had a trying week. Besides, Rhodey is supervising.”

 

“Also, Bruce is not above withholding delicious food from people who are mean to Tony,” Jennifer feels compelled to point out. “And trust me, you do _not_ want to miss out on Bruce’s hash brown casserole.”

 

Sam plops down next to her. “Is there cheese involved?”

 

“And bacon,” Jennifer replies. “It’s basically _everything_.”

 

Sam grins, Clint looks absolutely gleeful, Natasha is intrigued, and Steve leans forward. “Let me get this straight—this is breakfast in casserole form? Like, all cooked together?”

 

“Uh huh,” Jennifer agrees.

 

“I didn’t think people did casseroles any more,” Steve says. “I mean, I never see them.”

 

Jennifer feels sad for him. “Well, not in restaurants, but at home. Rightly or not, casseroles are mostly associated with the Midwest and South, and a lot of people look down on them. But really, the casserole is an efficient means of using ingredients…” She trails off. “Okay, so I might be casually interested in the history of food.”

 

The others are staring at her strangely, but Steve still appears fascinated. “There’s a history of food?”

 

“Oh, yeah, a lot of foodies are really interested in the history and direction of food, and where we’re taking it, while getting back to our basic roots,” Jennifer says enthusiastically.

 

Clint clears his throat. “Or—and here’s a thought—you guys can talk about the history of the casserole later, and we can focus on the problem at hand now.”

 

“I’m working on my presentation!” Jennifer protests.

 

Natasha elbows him. “Don’t be an ass, Clint.”

 

“Look, I will happily listen to Professor Walters’ lecture on where the casserole came from and its future in our country, when we have some idea what we’re going to do about Hydra and Ultron,” Clint says, his voice rising.

 

Sam takes a sip of coffee. “Let’s all give thanks for the fact that Dr. Banner is interested enough in food to actually feed us, and those of us interested in food nerdery can discuss it at a later date outside the presence of the nonbelievers.”

 

Jennifer smirks, because no one there can argue what that comment. The conversation turns to other matters, and she focuses on putting the finishing touches on her presentation.

 

There’s a lot of good-natured ribbing, but not much of substance, which makes sense. They’re saving that sort of thing for the actual briefing.

 

The arrival of the food marks the beginning. There are two large foil trays, and the scent brings back so many memories from Jennifer’s childhood, of family holidays and gatherings. It smells like heaven.

 

Tony puts down a bowl of fruit salad, and Rhodey brings out another insulated carafe with coffee.

 

“Dig in, folks,” Bruce says. “There should be plenty for everybody.”

 

Jennifer knows what to expect, but she watches the rest of them to see their reactions. As far as she’s concerned, there’s something magical about hash browns and bacon and cheese in whatever sauce Bruce uses. Sam, Steve, and Clint actually groan out loud. Rhodey doesn’t say anything, but he starts mowing through his serving in a way that suggests he already had a taste, since Tony’s doing the same thing.

 

Natasha takes a cautious bite, but then she clears her plate and goes back for seconds. The conversation basically ceases until everybody has cleaned their plates at least once, and then Steve says, “You’re up, Jen. You have the most complete picture.”

 

Jennifer shovels the last of her hash browns into her mouth, and pulls up her presentation. “I’ve done my best to organize the information, so if you’ll let me get through the whole thing before asking questions, I’d appreciate it.”

 

She runs through everything that they know, everything that’s been done, goes over their objectives and targets. “Okay, new information that not everybody may have is what Bruce’s hacker Brixton discovered, Skye’s recommendation in getting information out of Pym Technology, and Bruce’s interview with Pym.”

 

She moves on to the next slide. “Okay, so we know that Darren Cross has not been terribly cooperative, and that he probably sucks as much as Pym does. Natasha?”

 

“More,” Natasha says succinctly. “In our reconnaissance, Cross appears to be interested in selling weapons, and the kind of weapons he’s thinking of peddling would put Stark Industries to shame. No offense, Tony.”

 

“None taken,” Tony says, now on his third helping of breakfast. “What are we talking about?”

 

“From what we were able to determine, Pym had technology ostensibly developed for SHIELD, but that was never turned over,” Natasha continues. “It’s in a vault in Pym’s home. He can’t get to it for obvious reasons, and Cross can’t access it because he needs to keep Pym’s daughter on board. Also, he’s not aware of how successful Pym was.”

 

“Which brings us to our next issue,” Jennifer continues. “If we all agree that we need to prevent this technology from falling into the wrong hands—Cross’ included—Bruce thought we should probably hire someone to steal it.”

 

Natasha looks a little affronted. “I’m perfectly capable of stealing it.”

 

“I know that,” Bruce says. “But we may need a little distance, guys. And plausible deniability.”

 

“So, we’re going to throw this guy to the wolves if he gets caught?” Steve asks, indignant.

 

Jennifer glares at him. “No, of course not. If you’d let me continue.”

 

She doesn’t care for the implication that Bruce and Tony would be assholes enough to hire someone to do their dirty work and then leave them hanging out to dry.

 

Everybody nods, and Jennifer pulls up the picture she was able to find. “This is Scott Lang. He was recently granted an early release from prison after being convicted of burglary against his former employer. He has an ex-wife and a kid he adores, but can’t see his kid unless he pays child support.”

 

“Let me guess,” Clint says. “He can’t find a job.”

 

“Hard for an ex-con in San Francisco to find a job that pays a livable wage, let alone afford child support,” Sam points out. “So, he’s hurting and vulnerable.”

 

Tony shakes his head. “No, he’s a person with a specific skillset that we need who is ripe for poaching. I take care of my employees, Wilson.”

 

“We wouldn’t make an offer without making sure he understands the risks,” Bruce adds. “And we also would make sure he has an exit strategy and is taken care of whether he agrees to it or not.”

 

Steve frowns. “I’m not sure what you mean.”

 

“We’d pay him enough so that he could see his kid for a year even if he didn’t get a job,” Tony says impatiently. “So it wouldn’t be coercive.”

 

“What’s the exit strategy?” Natasha asks. “Me?”

 

“And probably another person,” Jennifer replies. “But that’s the strategy portion of this meeting, and we’re currently focusing on targets and objectives. Which brings us to Ultron.”

 

She goes over everything, and then turns to Rhodey and Bruce. “You guys are up.”

 

“I’m pretty sure that Pym knew exactly what he was doing when he utilized the base code for Project Insight,” Bruce says bluntly. “It was a shortcut to a threat assessment system. The problem is that he classified us as a threat and neglected to do the same for Hydra. I think he knows he’s in over his head and he fucked up, but he’s too proud to come right out and admit it.”

 

Bruce takes a sip of coffee before continuing. “I believe the choice of thefts is telling.”

 

“Ultron wants to build a body,” Tony supplies. “He would have to in order to fully interact with the world. And I’m pretty sure the weapons theft was partially to arm whatever Hydra base he’s using.”

 

Steve leans forward. “It has to be Sokovia. What Clint and I saw there would fit. It’s heavily fortified, and we’re pretty sure that Baron von Strucker has made a deal with the government to get them to look the other way.”

 

“That makes taking out the base in Sokovia even more pressing,” Bruce says. “Preferably before Ultron can get too strong.”

 

“We need to get that tech from Pym, and then we need to plan for an all-out assault on Sokovia,” Steve summarizes. “That should be me, Colonel Rhodes, and Clint. We’ll need Thor for that, and I’ll contact him. Bruce, I think you and Natasha should contact this thief.”

 

“I should go, too,” Tony asserts. “I can provide some weight to the offer.”

 

Steve shakes his head. “Sorry, Tony, I can’t let you do that. We can’t afford for them to make another play for you.”

 

“I think we can manage it,” Bruce says quickly, cutting off what would undoubtedly be Tony’s heated complaints. “We’ll use the corporate jet, and we won’t mention Tony’s presence. We stand a better chance getting Mr. Lang on board if Tony makes the pitch.”

 

“As long as Bruce stays with Tony, I don’t think we’ll have a problem,” Jennifer points out. “That’s probably the main reason they triggered Bruce, just to get us to put him down and get him out of the way. The Hulk would fucking crush them.”

 

“The Hulk _is_ going to fucking crush them,” Bruce says pleasantly. “In fact, that can be our backup plan. You can drop me onto the Hydra stronghold in Sokovia from 30,000 feet.”

 

“No dice,” Tony says immediately. “You got knocked out, remember? We’re sticking together.”

 

“No one goes off alone,” Steve says immediately. “That goes without saying. We all have our assignments, so let’s get to it. Jennifer, I need everything you have on Sokovia. Bruce, Tony, Natasha, I want regular check-ins at least once every few hours.”

 

“I’m not calling you in the middle of the night,” Tony says irritably. “I plan on being otherwise engaged.”

 

A slightly horrified expression crosses Steve’s face. “TMI!”

 

“You know about TMI?” Tony asks.

 

And that breaks whatever tension is left in the room as they all laugh, but Jennifer knows that events are going to move swiftly after this.

 

~~~~~

 

Pepper meets them at the airport, wanting to see Tony for herself and in person. Pepper had overseen filing the flight plan to make sure no mention had been made of Tony’s presence.

 

Natasha is the first off the plane, wearing a suit and a shoulder holster, and she looks around with a wary eye. Bruce follows when she motions, Tony just behind him, their hands joined.

 

Tony grins when he sees her, although he doesn’t drop Bruce’s hand. Instead, they both hug her at once, and Pepper slings one arm around both of their necks.

 

She takes a moment and just breathes, relieved that her small family is mostly back together again.

 

Tony kisses her on the cheek. “How are you holding up?”

 

“I’m okay,” Pepper replies. “Better now, though. Good job with the press conference.”

 

Tony shrugs. “That was really all Matty.”

 

Pepper gives him a searching look. The press conference had gone over well. Tony had sincerely thanked the “heroic undercover SHIELD agent who had risked everything to rescue him from Hydra,” as well as everyone who had kept him in their thoughts and prayers. He stated that he was in good health, and was looking forward to spending quality time with his husband.

 

Matty took over to answer a few questions, announced that Mr. Stark planned on completing his recovery in an undisclosed location, and that had been that.

 

Stark Industries’ stocks saw a bump, the public’s outpouring of support hadn’t let up, and Pepper is relieved as hell.

 

“How are you really?”

 

Tony lets out a sharp breath. “Ask me again when we’ve dealt with this mess we’re in.”

 

“And you?” Pepper asks Bruce.

 

“Same answer,” Bruce replies. “But better now.”

 

“You didn’t really say what business you had in San Francisco,” Pepper comments as they head for the car. She’d flown up on a chartered flight to meet them, mindful of Bruce’s warning that they were pressed for time, but needing to see both of them.

 

“We’re here to recruit a thief,” Bruce says with a rueful grin. “We’ll tell you all about it when we get to a secure location. We’re not approaching Mr. Lang until tomorrow.”

 

Pepper is wildly curious, but if she’s learned nothing this last week it’s that security is paramount right now. “Of course. I made sure we had a place. Happy is overseeing security.”

 

“I’ll coordinate with him,” Natasha says with a smile that means she’ll be bossing Happy around, and he’ll end up thanking her for the honor.

 

Pepper has frequent meetings in San Francisco, and she has a place she frequently rents. This time, she has the top two floors of an exclusive hotel mostly for the sake of security, and because it means the elevators can be locked down.

 

She’s not surprised when both Natasha and Tony run their own checks, but Bruce sits and makes tea with the small electronic kettle in the room and asks Pepper how she’s doing.

 

Pepper realizes that he’s making small talk until the security checks are finished. “Fine.”

 

“And Phil?” Bruce asks. “Jennifer said that he managed to be in Los Angeles while she was at his usual haunt.”

 

“He’s been better,” Pepper replies. “There’s some health stuff going on right now.”

 

“I’m sorry to hear that,” Bruce says politely.

 

“We’re clear,” Tony announces.

 

Bruce clears his throat. “Right, well, let’s get down to business. We want to meet with Mr. Lang tomorrow morning.”

 

“What happened?” Pepper says. “ I know a little bit, but not everything.”

 

Tony waves to Bruce. “You tell it.”

 

Bruce’s lips twitch, and he begins to lay everything out. “We need to get this tech out of Pym’s hands,” he finishes.

 

Pepper thinks about that. “Have you thought about approaching Hope Van Dyne?”

 

“Pym’s daughter?” Tony asks. “Do you know her?”

 

“We’ve met,” Pepper replies. “She doesn’t care for her father much. It’s one of the reasons she uses her mother’s maiden name.”

 

“I don’t think we can risk it,” Tony says slowly. “Sure, Pym is an asshole, but that doesn’t mean she isn’t on board with selling this tech to the highest bidder.”

 

Pepper shakes her head. “You do realize that you’re proposing corporate espionage. If you’re caught, it’s not going to matter that you’re Avengers.”

 

“Pepper, this is tech they can’t have,” Bruce says urgently. “They absolutely _cannot_ keep it, and we need to make sure they don’t.”

 

Pepper nods, trusting them. “Is there anything else I can do?”

 

“Can we find Mr. Lang a job?” Bruce asks. “Even if he won’t do this job for us—even if he _does_ agree—he’s going to need a day job afterward.”

 

“An ex-con?” Pepper asks.

 

“We might need a thief on the payroll,” Tony points out. “I have a feeling that we may need to go off the reservation again in the future, and he stole to make a point, not to get rich.”

 

“How are you going to convince him to go along with this—or convince him not to go to the cops after you ask?” Pepper asks.

 

Tony raises his eyebrows. “He has a daughter, who will be getting access to a trust fund for her future educational needs.”

 

“That seems a little low,” Pepper objects. “Getting to a guy through his kid?”

 

“In the best possible way!” Tony protests. “He’s still going to get a check just for showing up and a job offer from SI.”

 

Pepper sighs. “This seems very morally ambiguous, gentlemen.”

 

“It is,” Tony agrees. “But we want to save the world here.”

 

“Then let’s save the world,” Pepper replies.

 

~~~~~

 

Bruce arranges the meeting with Scott Lang easily enough. Skye discovered who his parole officer is, and Bruce calls the man, stating he’s a businessman looking to help ex-convicts make a fresh start, and he had need of a systems engineer. Did he know of anyone?

 

Since part of a PO’s duties include monitoring post-prison employment and helping parolees stay out of trouble, Bruce merely has to set a date and time for an interview, and Scott Lang gets a call from his PO to show up.

 

Promptly at 10 am, the front desk calls their room to let them know they have a visitor. “Send him up,” Tony replies. “We’re expecting him.”

 

Bruce lets the man in when he knocks, as he’s the less recognizable of the two of them, but Lang’s eyes go wide. “Dr. Banner? Wait, you’re Dr. Banner.”

 

“In the flesh,” Bruce replies, and waves him inside.

 

He recognizes Tony next. “Mr. Stark? Oh, man, I’m a huge fan of your work. I know I’m here for a job interview, but if you wouldn’t mind signing an autograph for my daughter, I’d really appreciate it.”

 

“No problem,” Tony says graciously. “Have a seat.”

 

“Do you want coffee?” Bruce asks.

 

Lang is probably a few years younger than him and Tony, but he has a boyish, open face that makes him appear younger. Bruce knows the moment he realizes that this conversation isn’t just a job interview brought about by a lucky break.

 

“Uh, yeah, coffee would be great, Dr. Banner,” Lang replies, his expression turning wary.

 

“Call me Bruce,” he replies. “Cream and sugar?”

 

“Black is fine.” Lang settles uneasily on the chair across from the couch that Tony is casually occupying.

 

Tony doesn’t say anything to put Lang at ease, and Bruce hands him a cup of coffee, putting the creamer and sugar on the table in case Lang wants to doctor his own. Bruce isn’t surprised when he reaches for both.

 

“I’m guessing this isn’t about a job interview,” Lang says, a bitter twist to his mouth.

 

“No, it is,” Tony replies, putting two envelopes on the table next to the cream and sugar. “This envelope contains a round trip ticket to Los Angeles. Bruce already cleared it with your PO. We have a systems manager position open, and SI has a small office here. You’ll have to travel to LA at least once a month, but you can telecommute most of the time.”

 

Lang frowns. “What’s the catch?”

 

“There’s no catch,” Bruce assures him. “We’ll sign some autographs for your kid, and you’ll walk out of here with our best wishes.”

 

Lang glances at the other envelope. “What’s in that one?”

 

“In that envelope is a check for $25,000,” Tony replies. “Which is yours, assuming you agree to hear us out and not tell anybody anything about our conversation. Whether you take on an additional job for us or not, that money is your own as long as you keep quiet.”

 

Lang relaxes slightly. “Is this Avengers business?”

 

“It is,” Bruce replies.

 

Lang nods. “I’ll hear you out, and what you say won’t leave this room.”

 

Bruce and Tony have talked about this, about how much to tell Lang, and they’ve decided to be as open as they can be. It’s a calculated risk, but one worth taking. If they’re going to ask Lang to put himself on the line for them, he needs to know the score.

 

“What do you know about Ultron?” Bruce asks.

 

“An artificial intelligence created by Hank Pym for the US military,” Lang replies.

 

“And we have credible evidence that Ultron has joined forces with Hydra,” Tony replies. “Pym didn’t account for that possibility when he programmed it. But that means Pym can’t be trusted, and there’s tech he has that Ultron and Hydra absolutely cannot get their hands on.”

 

“So, you want me to steal it?” Lang asks. “Why me?”

 

“Because we went looking for you,” Bruce replies, and he feels a little sorry for the guy. He’s not _just_ a thief, and the fact that his thoughts immediately went to that place suggests he’s having a hard time squaring what he did with who he _is_. Bruce can relate, so he offers, “We went looking for a thief with morals. We found you.”

 

Lang shakes his head. “Okay, look, I believe that you guys think this is necessary, and it probably is, but I can’t go back to prison.”

 

“Natasha Romanoff is your exit strategy,” Tony offers. “And hey, you could probably be an Avenger.”

 

Lang blinks. “What?”

 

“We know that Pym has the prototype in his basement,” Tony continues. “You’ll probably need that in order to carry out the job on Pym Technologies. And we’re not going to advertise that we have the suit, so you could use it.”

 

Bruce glances at Tony, alarmed. “Tony.”

 

“What? We could use someone with his skills, and you know the suit will be helpful,” Tony argues. “I’m just saying it’s a possibility.”

 

Bruce pinches the bridge of his nose. “We’re not dragging Mr. Lang in any deeper than he wants to go.”

 

“I’m not saying we do,” Tony immediately counters. “But you know how this goes. Some people get the bug.”

 

Lang holds up a hand. “I’m sorry, but you guys haven’t given me a solid reason for not just walking out.”

 

Tony drops a manila envelope on the table. “That contains financial documentation of an educational trust set up in your daughter’s name by an anonymous donor. If people start digging, they’re going to find your old boss’ name.”

 

Lang smirks. “Clever.”

 

“That trust will pay for your daughter’s education through her first Ph.D,” Tony states. “Including private schools of your choice through high school.”

 

Lang leans back into the chair cushions. “Yeah, okay, that gets my attention.”

 

“You attempt the job, however it turns out, your daughter is taken care of,” Bruce states plainly. “Natasha insists that she can get you out clean, and I believe her, but I also believe in having multiple contingency plans.”

 

Lang nods. “Fair enough. What happens if the wrong people get their hands on this technology?”

 

Bruce goes over what he knows, the intel they received from Natasha and Sam and Jennifer, including Hydra’s files. “If Ultron gets this tech, he could create an army of robots that could either become microscopic or huge, depending on what he wants or needs at the time. It would be devastating.”

 

Lang scrubs his hands over his face. “It’s that big of a deal.”

 

“It is,” Tony says quietly. “And if it’s not you, we’ll have to get someone else.”

 

Lang nods. “I’ll do it.”

 

“I’m sorry,” Bruce says sincerely. “I know we manipulated you, and that isn’t exactly fair.”

 

Lang shakes his head. “No, you know what? You guys have been straight with me, and you asked for my help, which I’m willing to give. I want to help.”

 

Bruce sees in his eyes the desire to change the world, and that’s probably why Tony made the comment about using the suit. He sees in Lang his own desire.

 

“We’ll take care of you,” Tony promises. “No matter what happens.”

 

“I believe you,” Lang replies with a crooked smile. “You have that reputation, Mr. Stark.”

 

“ _Tony_ ,” he insists and holds out a hand. “Welcome aboard.”

 

Lang takes it. “Thanks.”

 

“You’re still expected in LA,” Bruce says, holding out a hand for Lang to shake. “Take the job they offer you. It’ll give you adequate cover, satisfy your PO, and pay the bills. The check is yours. Stark Industries will write it off as a consulting expense and provide you the necessary tax documentation.”

 

Lang’s mouth twitches into a grin. “You’ve thought of everything.”

 

“If you think of anything else, let us know,” Bruce insists. “We’ll see you back here in a few days, and that’s when we’ll hit Pym’s place.”

 

After Lang leaves with the promised autographs, Bruce looks at Tony. “A little warning would be nice, Tony. Steve is probably going to say the same.”

 

“We have to get the suit first,” Tony argues. “And then Lang has to be able to actually use the suit. There are a lot of steps between here and there.”

 

“You offered him a place with the Avengers!” Bruce protests.

 

“Only sort of,” Tony argues. “I could see it in his eyes, Bruce. He wants to make a difference.”

 

“Yeah, I saw it, too,” Bruce replies. “And he has a young daughter who needs him. One job is a little different than recruiting him.”

 

Tony scoffs. “And maybe he needs recruiting. It’s not like we’d need him all the time, just for specific jobs, right? The Avengers should have a wide skillset.”

 

Bruce sighs. “Fair enough.”

 

“You’re not angry, are you?” Tony asks.

 

Bruce shakes his head. “No, of course not. It’s just—we manipulated that man into helping us, a father who has a daughter. The rest of us, we have family sure, but we don’t have children.”

 

“Yeah, and we’re going to take care of his kid,” Tony argues. “The trust is set up; it can’t be broken.”

 

“Taking care of his kid’s educational requirements isn’t the same thing as having her father in her life,” Bruce points out. “But it’s his choice.”

 

“Bruce, this is war,” Tony points out. “We may not have a choice about who we recruit.”

 

Bruce rubs his eyes. “Yeah, I know.”

 

Tony pulls him in close. “Otherwise, I think that went well.”

 

“It went great,” Bruce agrees. “I just worry. Ultron is big, Tony. Even if we manage to stop him in Sokovia, he might slip through the cracks.”

 

“He might,” Tony replies. “But that’s what we have Jarvis for.”

 

Bruce wishes he could be so sanguine.

 

~~~~~

 

Tony picks up the phone as soon as he sees Pepper’s name on the caller ID. “What’s up?”

 

“Scott Lang passed his interview with flying colors,” Pepper says. “He’s hired, and the manager who interviewed him says he’s a treasure. So don’t get him killed!”

 

“Not planning on it,” Tony promises. “Bruce has already read me the riot act.”

 

“Good,” Pepper replies. “I’m glad someone is keeping you in line. When are you heading back?”

 

“We’re going to stick around until the first stage is complete,” Tony replies. “Steve and Clint will relieve us and provide additional backup at that point.”

 

They had discussed the plan at length and finally decided it would be better if neither of them were in San Francisco when Pym Technologies loses its greatest asset. The other option had been to pointedly be _somewhere else_ when the theft takes place, but they can pointedly do that from anywhere.

 

The rest of the team are all staying in San Francisco under the kind of deep background aliases that Brixton manufactured, and Tony might not entirely trust him yet, but he respects the kid’s skills.

 

The only reason they aren’t worried about Lang stealing the suit is that, as far as they can tell, no one knows it’s there other than Pym. And Pym is currently stashed somewhere far away.

 

“Be careful,” Pepper replies. “It’s going to be hard to run R&D from a jail cell if you get caught.”

 

Tony smiles. “I don’t plan on getting caught.”

 

He’s feeling a little more even keeled after a week out of Hydra’s clutches, mostly because there’s something to keep him occupied.

 

Bruce slips inside the room. “I’ve got a safe house set up with plenty of security. We’ll have a place to stash the suit, and for Lang to try it out.”

 

“So, you’re on board now?” Tony asks.

 

“Well, no one else is going to use it,” Bruce points out.

 

“True,” Tony agrees. “Are we doing the right thing?”

 

“We’re doing what we have to do,” Bruce replies. “Whether that’s the right thing or not, only time will tell.”

 

“Things are going to start moving quickly,” Tony murmurs.

 

“They’re already moving quickly,” Bruce replies, pressing his forehead to Tony’s. “How are you holding up?”

 

“I feel better with a plan,” Tony admits.

 

“It’s going to work,” Bruce says. “It has to.”

 

“Wanna climb into bed and stay there until we have to get out?” Tony asks hopefully.

 

Bruce smiles. “I’d love to.”

 

Tony wishes they could just stay in bed for a few weeks or years, that they could let the rest of the world burn, but that’s not what they do. At least they get a brief respite before they get the ball rolling.

 

They meet Natasha at the safe house the following day and check it out. Tony already has some ideas from his own early attempts to use the suit. The others will be able to help too, assuming that Lang decides to use it.

 

If he doesn’t, they’ll have to work out another way to steal the tech and trash any records to prevent a resurgence of the project.

 

“It’s a good space for training,” Natasha says, looking around at the wide-open space of the warehouse. It’s been partially converted into apartments, but the developer ran out of money before they could finish.

 

Tony nods. “It’s a good investment. Once we’re through with it, we’ll finish it up and rent it out.”

 

“I used the same corporation to purchase it that we used to buy the farm,” Bruce adds. “Jennifer helped with that. I think she got a kick out of finding legal loopholes.”

 

“I can train him here,” Natasha says. “I would advise laying low for a few days to see if Lang can get the hang of using the suit. If he can’t, we’ll make another plan. Steve, Clint, and I can get him the rest of the way if he does show promise. If we have those masks, we can provide on-scene backup.”

 

Bruce readily agrees. “Is there any problem with you guys staying here? It will reduce visibility.”

 

“I’ve slept in far worse places,” Natasha replies. “What’s the plan for tomorrow night?”

 

“You’ll pick up Lang at a predetermined location,” Bruce says. “You take him to Pym’s place. He breaks in, steals the suit, you make sure he gets away clean. We’ll be on coms just in case.”

 

Bruce doesn’t say in case of what, but Tony figures he doesn’t need to. Tony can be on site with the suit in short order to provide a distraction. Bruce feels responsible for Lang.

 

“I have a mask for you,” Tony offers. “If you need to provide a distraction for Lang, you should be able to do so without being recognized, assuming you don’t get arrested.”

 

Natasha snorts. “Like they could.”

 

“Well, we don’t want to give ourselves away,” Bruce points out. “We don’t even want them to know we _know_ about this tech. Cross could get nervous, and we don’t want him nervous.”

 

Natasha agrees. “Okay, so we’ll keep it quiet, and I’ll keep Lang out of trouble.”

 

They spend the rest of the day setting up a training area and a war room of sorts for the rest of the team to use after they arrive. Tony strips down to his tank top as they create obstacles and drag over heavy foam mats for sparring. They get the computers set up, and he starts to feel as though this might actually work.

 

At this point, they’ll have two secret staging areas to deal with any threats in the States, and Maria Hill is working on setting something up in Sokovia.

 

“You’d better get going,” Bruce says. “You have the directions?”

 

Natasha nods. “We’ll be fine.”

 

Tony pulls his shirt back on, and they sit in front of the computers. They won’t have visual, but the coms have GPS, and they can track where Natasha and Lang are.

 

“Once this is done, where do you want to go?” Tony asks.

 

Bruce shrugs. “Well, a romantic getaway wouldn’t be too out of place given recent events, preferably somewhere public and with plenty of paparazzi.”

 

“Ah, part of that pointedly being somewhere else, huh?” Tony says with a smile.

 

Bruce shrugs. “Something like that.”

 

“Here, put this in,” Natasha says over the coms.

 

“How does it work?” Lang asks.

 

“Just speak normally,” Tony replies. “We can hear you even if you use subvocals.”

 

“Wow, cool,” Lang enthuses.

 

He at least attempts to make small talk with Natasha, who doesn’t participate, and a slightly awkward silence falls. Tony shares a grin with Bruce, and they watch the screen, tracking the others as they come up on Pym’s house.

 

“All right, it’s show time,” Tony announces.

 

“I’ve got this,” Lang says confidently. “No problem.”

 

He keeps up a running commentary under his breath as he circumvents the security system and breaks into the house.

 

“Okay, we know it’s in the basement,” Bruce says. “Do you see the door?”

 

“Got it,” Lang replies. “Heading downstairs now.” He lets out a low whistle. “We’ve got a vault down here. This is going to take a little time.”

 

“That’s fine,” Bruce replies. “Just work smart.”

 

Several tense minutes pass, and Natasha says, “We have a problem. There are cops.”

 

“How close are you, Scott?” Bruce asks.

 

“It’s open,” he says breathlessly. “Should I grab it and run?”

 

“I can provide a distraction,” Natasha offers.

 

“No,” Bruce says definitively. “Scott, I need you to trust me and put the suit on.”

 

Tony gives him an alarmed look, accompanied by a “what the hell” gesture, and Bruce just looks grim.

 

“The cops are going to have to clear the house room by room,” Bruce says. “It’s going to take them time to get to the basement. You have enough time to get the suit on.”

 

“Yeah, okay,” Lang replies. “Putting it on now. Shit, shit, shit.”

 

Tony really doesn’t like this. “Natasha, where are the cops?”

 

“They just made entry,” Natasha replies, a thin thread of worry running through her voice. “Bruce was right. They’re clearing the first floor.”

 

“Scott?” Bruce says. “How are you doing?”

 

“Well, I’m not fond of cops, that’s for sure,” Lang replies. “Okay, suit’s on.”

 

“There’s a button on the suit, do you see it?” Bruce asks, his voice completely even.

 

“Yup, there’s a button,” Lang replies. “What am I doing with it?”

 

“Close the vault door and lock it up tight,” Bruce advises. “Now, we don’t know how the suit will affect coms, so if we lose touch, _don’t_ panic. Stay hidden, and Natasha will come get you when the coast is clear.”

 

There’s a long silence, and then Lang whispers, “Holy fuck, this is nuts.”

 

“Can you hear us?” Tony asks.

 

“Yeah, and I can hear the cops coming down the stairs,” Lang whispers furiously.

 

“Stay still and quiet,” Bruce advises. “They’re not going to be looking for someone who’s only a few inches tall.”

 

“Shit, shit, shit, shit,” Lang chants and then falls silent.

 

The wait seems interminable, and Bruce’s anxiety is evident only in the nervous tapping of his fingers against the workbench.

 

“We’re in the clear,” Natasha says. “They’re leaving.”

 

“Scott, can you make it up to the front door? Or to a window?” Bruce asks.

 

“There’s a basement window,” he replies. “I can make it through that.”

 

“On my way,” Natasha replies.

 

Another few minutes pass, and Natasha says, “I’ve got him. We’re heading back now, and we’ll take the long way to make sure we aren’t followed.”

 

“See you then,” Bruce replies and pulls out his ear bud.

 

Tony does the same. “That was a risk. You didn’t know the suit would work.”

 

“Why guard something that heavily if it’s broken?” Bruce asks reasonably, and then he sighs deeply. “But yeah, it was a calculated risk. We couldn’t afford for anybody to know that we stole the suit.”

 

“And if Lang had been caught?” Tony asks. “You were the one who didn’t like the idea of him using the suit.”

 

Bruce gives him a long look. “I still don’t like the idea. I didn’t like putting him at risk, but it seemed like the right thing to do at the time.”

 

Tony runs a hand through his hair. “You have nerves of steel. You know that, right?”

 

Bruce shrugs. “I’ve gotten pretty good at keeping my emotions on lockdown. Come here.” Tony lets him pull him in for a hug. “How are you doing?”

 

“I’m hanging in there,” Tony replies.

 

“If that changes, you’ll let me know?”

 

“You’ll be the first,” Tony promises, and just keeps hanging on.

 

~~~~~

 

Jennifer is dozing when her phone chimes with a text message. _First stage complete. All is well._

 

She heaves a sigh of relief and checks the time. It’s nearly 4 am, and she doesn’t think she’ll be able to get back to sleep. Jennifer has been sharing one of the upstairs bedrooms with Natasha when they’re both there. It reminds her a little bit of living in a dorm.

 

Jennifer starts a pot of coffee in the kitchen and opens the door to the fridge to look for something to eat. She really wants more of that hash brown casserole, but Bruce isn’t around to make it, and Jennifer’s cooking skills are limited to sous chef and really basic things.

 

“Hey, you’re up early,” Sam says, drifting into the room.

 

“I’m sorry if I woke you,” Jennifer replies.

 

Sam shakes his head. “Don’t worry about it. Did you hear from them?”

 

“Yeah, I just got a text that everything is okay,” Jennifer replies. “Where are the others?”

 

“Clint and Steve already left,” Sam says. “So, it’s just you and me.”

 

Jennifer smiles. “Is that a proposition?”

 

“It might be,” Sam replies. “What’s a little stress relief between friends?”

 

And the sex is good. Sam smells good and is nicely shaped and is really good with his hands. He brings her off, and then—because they aren’t prepared and don’t have a condom handy, Jennifer offers a hand job.

 

It’s nice to get off with another person, and Jennifer is basking in the afterglow when Sam props himself up on an elbow. “Next time, I’ll make sure I bring condoms.”

 

She laughs. “Yeah, well, I clearly wasn’t thinking when I put my go-bag together.”

 

“I should have brought some with me.” He pauses. “You know, I really like you.”

 

Jennifer has a feeling she knows where this is going. “I really like you, too.”

 

“And I know we said we were going to keep things casual while we were long distance, but we’re not long distance anymore,” Sam says.

 

Jennifer sighs. “I don’t think it’s a good idea.”

 

He frowns. “Can I ask why?”

 

“I have a policy where I only seriously date guys I can trust to back me fully,” Jennifer replies.

 

“Is this about what I said?” Sam asks. “Because I’m sorry if it seemed I’m not supportive.”

 

“It doesn’t have anything to do with that,” Jennifer insists. She tries to find the right words to explain that won’t hurt his feelings. “Look, on a team the size of the Avengers, it’s only natural for some people to be closer than others, and you and Steve are close.”

 

Sam nods. “Sure, but so are you.”

 

“But in a situation where Tony and Steve are at odds, unless Tony’s bent on world domination, then I’m probably going to back Tony because _Bruce_ will back him,” Jennifer says. “And then where will we be?”

 

Sam flops back down on the bed. “That would be a sticky situation.”

 

“Like with the thing with Barnes,” Jennifer says.

 

“So, dating me would be bad for team dynamics,” Sam says flatly.

 

“I don’t know,” Jennifer admits. “Maybe it would be fine. Maybe it would even be great. But things aren’t looking good right now, Sam. Things might get worse before they get better, and I think stress relief is all I’m really up for at the moment.”

 

Jennifer already knows that it would hurt to lose any one of her teammates; she likes all of them a great deal. She doesn’t want to fall for one of them.

 

And maybe she’ll fall for Sam anyway, but she’s not going down that path if she can help it.

 

“You make a really good point,” Sam admits. “I don’t know what I’d do if I had to choose between you and Steve.”

 

“It probably depends on the issue at hand,” Jennifer says. “And I can’t say that I’ll always agree with Bruce or Tony. They don’t always agree with each other.”

 

“But you need to know that I’d back you, even if you’re going up against Steve,” Sam replies.

 

Jennifer offers a wistful smile. “I’m hoping that never happens, to be honest.”

 

“So, friends with benefits?” Sam asks.

 

“Works for me,” Jennifer replies. “Breakfast?”

 

Sam kisses her on the shoulder before he gets up and drags on his clothing. “Yeah, I’ll get another pot of coffee started.”

 

Jennifer gets dressed in leggings and an oversized t-shirt and pulls her hair back. She plans on going for a run later, and she’ll need to get more work done.

 

“Do you want some help today?” Sam offers. “If I won’t be in the way.”

 

Jennifer nods. “I’d love that. Thanks.”

 

She’s back from her run around the property with Sam, and has gotten cleaned up, when an incoming video call from Bruce causes the computer to chime. “Hey, cuz. What’s up?”

 

“We’re headed to Honolulu,” Bruce says, sounding tired but pleased. “Matty’s going to leak the news to the press that Tony needs some peace and quiet to recover. I didn’t want you to be surprised.”

 

“How is he?” Jennifer asks.

 

Bruce shrugs. “Not sleeping well, still kind of freaked, but phase one of the plan was successful, and he’s feeling pretty good about that. Here, say hello.”

 

Bruce moves what’s probably his phone to Tony, who offers a wave. “Hey, Jen. Getting by in that house?”

 

“Still plugging away,” she says cheerfully. “What about you?”

 

“We should be back in about a week,” Tony replies, not quite answering her question. “Hopefully, we’ll have scuttled Cross’ plans and have a strategy for Sokovia by then.”

 

Jennifer nods. “Don’t have too much fun without me.”

 

“Talk to you soon,” Bruce promises.

 

She lets out a breath of relief, knowing they’re at least safe and are going to get some rest and relaxation.

 

“Wish you were in San Fran?” Sam asks.

 

Jennifer shakes her head. “No, I wouldn’t be any good to them. If I had to go green, I’d be too recognizable. What about you?”

 

Sam shrugs. “Honestly? I’m not real comfortable with the idea of turning into a thief, even if I agree that it’s necessary. This, what we’re doing right now? It feels right.”

 

And Jennifer doesn’t disagree.

 

~~~~~

 

Pepper does get periodic updates. Technically, Scott Lang won’t start working for Stark Industries until he completes the “consulting project” Tony and Bruce paid him to do.

 

Natasha is the one keeping her in the loop, and Pepper asks, “How is he doing?”

 

“We’re moving on it tomorrow,” Natasha replies. “I’ll go in as backup, and Steve and Clint will be on standby. I’ve seen the pictures on the news.”

 

Pepper knows immediately which photos she’s referring to, and she smiles. “Yes, it seems the magic hasn’t died.”

 

“Between those photos, and our aliases, it’s going to be nearly impossible to tie the theft to the Avengers,” Natasha replies. “Which is the point. There’s nothing to tie Scott to Pym Technologies, and he has a job lined up with the paper trail to back it up.”

 

“What’s your point?” Pepper asks.

 

“If someone asks you about it, it might be a good idea to SI to have been targeted for something,” Natasha replies. “Between your ties to Marta Adenauer, and Bruce’s ties to Cho, it would be unlikely that SI wouldn’t be hit.”

 

Pepper has already thought of that. “We haven’t recovered the armor Tony was wearing when captured,” she points out. “They’ve already hit us.”

 

She can hear the smile in Natasha’s voice. “Good call. I’ll let you know when it’s done.”

 

Pepper has to go through the motions over the next few days. The news comes out that Pym Technologies had suffered a setback when a new weapon had been stolen, and Darren Cross was planning on selling it to the highest bidder.

 

“Consensus is that Cross is an arms dealer who probably is the next thing to a traitor,” Matty informs her after the news hits. He’s still in New York, keeping a close eye on Aaron and laying low in case they become targets. “The good news is that they’re attributing the theft to Hydra, or whoever else targeted Adenauer, Tony, and Klaue.”

 

“That’s good,” Pepper says.

 

Matty hesitates. “Well, given that I don’t know anything officially, I think it’s probably for the best if the suit were found at a Hydra stronghold at some point in the future.”

 

Pepper hears what he isn’t saying. “Granted. I’ll see what I can do.”

 

“Folks are relieved that Tony seems to be in one piece and enjoying his vacation with Bruce,” Matty admits. “Which gives SI some cover.”

 

Pepper nods. “I’ll put out some feelers.”

 

“Take care of yourself,” Matty says. “Let me know if there’s anything you need from us.”

 

“Thanks, Matty.”

 

Pepper makes a few other calls, and is a little surprised when she gets a phone call from Phil. “How are things going?”

 

“Fine,” Pepper replies cautiously.

 

“If you need any help with anything, let me know,” Phil replies. “I’m happy to help out however I can.”

 

Pepper knows they have to be careful about what they discuss on the phone, and she doesn’t want to take any risks. “I’ll keep that in mind,” Pepper replies. “And I’ll call you if I need anything.”

 

She won’t; Phil hasn’t completely redeemed himself in her eyes.

 

“Please be sure you do,” Phil replies. “We’re in the middle of something right now, but I can be there in hours.”

 

“I’ll let you know,” she says noncommittally.

 

Phil sighs. “Hopefully, I’ll see you soon.”

 

Pepper smiles. “Feel free to stop by when you’re in town.”

 

She has no intention of making this easy on him.

 

~~~~~

 

Two weeks in Honolulu is exactly what they needed, Bruce thinks. He’s a little concerned about being out in the open, but he and Tony stay attached at the hip, and they are very pointedly somewhere that is not San Francisco when Lang and the other Avengers pull off the heist of the century.

 

Or at least the heist of the decade.

 

They’re on the phone with Natasha, Clint, Steve, and Lang when it’s all over, Lang looking flushed and pleased, and the others grimly satisfied.

 

“I’m not sure what good it will do, but the authorities have evidence that Darren Cross was attempting to sell the technology to the highest bidder, which will likely result in a charge of treason,” Steve says. “Scott did great.”

 

“I never had any doubts,” Bruce replies warmly and watches Lang’s flush deepen. “I think we should probably arrange to find one of the newer pieces of tech from Pym in Sokovia.”

 

Natasha nods. “I agree. That will seal the deal. What about the original suit?”

 

“Store it somewhere safe,” Tony advises. “Lang, we might need you again for a job like this. I recommend continuing to practice. Feel free to continue using one of the apartments onsite.”

 

His eyes go wide. “I couldn’t do that.”

 

“Sure you can,” Tony says magnanimously. “I’ll have legal draw up a contract. That way someone we trust is onsite.”

 

“When are you guys heading back?” Clint asks.

 

Tony shrugs. “A few days. We’ll join back up with you in Pennsylvania, and then focus on Sokovia.”

 

“Should I be there for that?” Lang asks uncertainly.

 

“No,” Bruce says definitively. “We appreciate the offer, but we don’t want you getting into trouble, and it would draw too much attention.”

 

Lang appears both relieved and disappointed. “Right.”

 

“Keep your head down,” Tony advises. “And we’ll see the rest of you in a few days.” When the call ends, Tony asks, “Are you sure that was the right move?”

 

“We can’t afford to let anybody know that Lang is connected to the theft, and he’s not supposed to leave the state while he’s on parole,” Bruce points out. “It makes more sense to leave him out of things, recover Pym tech while in Sokovia, and let the rest of the world draw their own assumptions when we need him down the road.”

 

Tony sighs. “You’re right. I should have thought about that.”

 

“You’re still recovering,” Bruce points out. “That’s why two heads are better than one. How are you feeling?”

 

“Better,” Tony replies. “Ready to dismantle Hydra and get some payback.”

 

“That’s the spirit,” Bruce replies. He pulls Tony over to the bed, and they stretch out together.

 

Tony has been extra tactile since his escape from Hydra, and Bruce has no problem indulging him. Bruce has absolutely no intention of letting Tony out of his sight until after they’ve completely dismantled Hydra, or he knows the danger has passed.

 

“I still worry that there’s a landmine in my brain, just waiting to go off.” Tony turns his face into Bruce’s shoulder. “Maybe they’ll trigger me in the middle of a battle.”

 

Bruce runs his fingers through Tony’s hair. “I won’t tell you that there’s no way it’s going to happen, because we don’t know that for sure, but I will not let them have you.”

 

Tony curls into him, and Bruce listens to the sound of the waves hitting the shore of the beach right outside the window. They have the penthouse suit of a beachfront hotel, and Bruce has actually been enjoying their time here. They’ve taken a lot of walks, eaten a lot of food, and have generally made it very obvious that they’re in Hawaii.

 

Oh, and they’ve had copious amounts of life-affirming sex.

 

Tony pulls back to kiss him, and Bruce loses himself in the taste and feel of Tony, content to have him here. He doesn’t think he’ll ever get over the fact that he gets to have this, that he gets to have Tony, even after they’ve had years together.

 

He’s ready to head back at the end of their time together, ready to move on to the next objective and get things over with.

 

They fly into New York City, where Clint picks them up in the Quinjet. “How’s it going?” he asks. “You two look relaxed.”

 

“We are,” Bruce replies. “How are things here?”

 

Clint shrugs. “Hill managed to come up with the remaining manpower we thought we’d need. Steve wants to move as soon as possible.”

 

“So do I,” Tony replies. “The sooner we take down Strucker, the happier I’ll be.”

 

“From what Jennifer has been able to find out, that will cripple Hydra, at least for a while,” Clint agrees.

 

The flight to the farm is uneventful, which is something of a relief. Bruce isn’t sure what he expects, but he’d been a little concerned that their role in the heist had been discovered no matter how careful he’d been. He also is a little worried that Hydra would come after them again.

 

But the farm is secure and unknown to anyone, and they’re ready to plan the assault on Strucker’s fortress in Sokovia the following day.

 

“We are fairly certain they have the weapons from Adenauer there,” Hill says. “Our understanding is that there’s a shipment of robots that’s been sent over, so we’ll have those to deal with.”

 

“There may be a way to shut them down,” Tony says. “I’m working on it.”

 

“With Jarvis?” Bruce asks.

 

Tony shrugs. “Turns out, when Hydra attacked and thought they’d try to shut him down, Jarvis learned a few things about _them_.”

 

“We’ll need the Hulk for sure,” Steve says. “You going to be okay with that, Bruce?”

 

Bruce shrugs. “I’m ready to take them down.”

 

“Same,” Jennifer comments. “They hurt Tony.”

 

“I’m in,” Sam says.

 

“We must recover my brother’s staff,” Thor rumbles.

 

“We will,” Steve insists. “Let’s talk plan of attack.”

 

Bruce forces himself to pay attention, even though he’s sleep deprived and jet-lagged, and he’s fairly useless when it comes to strategy for something like this. The other guy is like a cannon that can be generally pointed in the right direction, but that’s about it.

 

Still, they can’t rule out the idea that Hydra will be able to knock him out, and Bruce should know the plan in case he returns to himself during the battle.

 

The assault is multi-pronged, and Bruce is impressed with the detailed planning. Steve and Hill seem to have thought of just about everything.

 

“All right, I think that covers everything,” Steve finally says as lunchtime approaches. “We’re going for a dawn approach, and it’s a 10-hour flight. We leave in three hours. Tony, is that enough time?”

 

Tony shrugs. “It will have to be. If it’s not, our resident Hulks are going to get a real workout.”

 

“I’ll make lunch,” Bruce offers. They’re going to be eating field rations from here on out, at least until they’ve contained the threat. He likes the idea of being in the kitchen for a bit.

 

The next few hours have an elastic quality. They seem to pass in a blur, and yet drag by at the same time. _This_ is what they’ve been building to, and it makes a difference, that they’re planning this rather than just letting the battle come to them.

 

The Avengers are planning an assault on a Hydra stronghold, and it feels like a declaration of intent.

 

They aren’t Nick Fury’s pet project anymore. They aren’t a hastily assembled bunch of misfits. They’re a _team_.

 

“You okay?” Tony asks, resting his hands on Bruce’s hips as he finishes the sauce for the pasta—something easy and relatively fast, with enough carbs to keep them all going.

 

“I just wish I knew that we’d all come out of this on the other side unscathed,” Bruce admits.

 

“Same here,” Tony replies, and then he just rests against Bruce, and Bruce wishes this were all over.

 

~~~~~

 

“Entering Sokovia airspace,” Clint announces. “We’ll be landing in thirty.”

 

Tony steps into the armor he left parked at the back of the Quinjet and says, “Jarvis, how are we doing?”

 

“Ready when you are, sir,” Jarvis replies. “The robots will be non-functional as soon as you give the word.”

 

“We’re a go,” Tony says to the rest of the Avengers. “Jarvis can shut down the robots at least on a temporary basis.”

 

Steve breathes out a sigh of relief. “Okay, great. Tony, Falcon, and I will take the frontal attack as we discussed. Tony, you’ve got Sam.”

 

Tony nods. “Got it.”

 

“Hawkeye, take Jennifer and approach from the east, Widow and Hulk, western approach,” Steve orders. “Thor, provide aerial support. Hill and Rhodes will coordinate with SHIELD to deploy them appropriately, but we have the lead.”

 

Tony pauses just outside the hatch of the Quinjet and flips up his faceplate, “Be careful, string bean.”

 

Bruce rolls his eyes at the nickname but presses a quick kiss to Tony’s mouth. “Love you, too.”

 

He and Natasha jog off to their appointed station, and Clint and Jennifer do the same, Clint with an insouciant salute and Jennifer a cheerful, “See you all on the flipside!”

 

“Ready to go?” Tony asks Sam.

 

Sam grimaces. “Yeah, let’s go.”

 

“Widow, Hawkeye, are you in place?” Steve asks, and when the confirmations come through, he gives Tony the nod. “Good to go.”

 

The first part of the assault goes according to plan. Tony carries Sam up to an altitude that will allow him to fly and then lets him go. Tony targets the shield generator Strucker has set up. He can see an explosion off to the east, probably from one of Clint’s arrows. He can’t hear or see the Hulk, but Thor is calling the lightning to hit the generator in tandem with Tony.

 

And that’s when everything goes to hell.

 

Tony has no idea how many robots take to the sky, but there are at least two-dozen. “Jarvis! What the hell?”

 

“My apologies, sir, but I am still attempting to shut them down, as they’ve found a work around,” Jarvis replies.

 

“Keep trying,” Tony orders. He manages to take down the shield generator before one of the robots hits him from behind.

 

He can hear the Hulk roar, and he gets hit again.

 

“Iron Man!” Steve calls. “You okay?”

 

“Working on it!” Tony replies.

 

The robots are humanoid in shape with glowing blue eyes, and not only can they fly, but they also have the same kind of replusor technology that Tony’s suit uses. Tony picks off one of the robots only to be hit by another.

 

Thor is flinging lightning bolts, and one misses Tony by a hair to fry another robot. Tony can hear Cap call out orders and the others call out warnings and directions over the coms.

 

“Oh, shit,” Jennifer says. “Hawkeye is down!”

 

“How bad?” Steve asks.

 

“I don’t know, Cap,” Jennifer says. “We’re pinned down! I need to get him out of here.”

 

“I’m on my way,” Hill says. “Barton, Jennifer, sit tight. We’re going to provide support.”

 

Tony realizes that they’re losing, and if they can’t take out the robots soon, not all of them are going to make it out of this. There are missiles and other explosions, Cap is swearing bitterly, and Jennifer is muttering, “Hang in there, Clint. Just hang in there.”

 

There are still at least a dozen robots, and they haven’t even been able to breach the perimeter.

 

“I have it, sir,” Jarvis announces, and the rest of the robots drop out of the sky.

 

“Good job, J,” Tony says breathlessly.

 

“We need to take out the missile system,” Steve says. “SHIELD isn’t going to be able to provide the necessary support if we don’t.”

 

“Rhodey?” Tony calls. “You up for it?”

 

“On your six,” Rhodey promises.

 

“I will continue to watch over you,” Thor promises.

 

With the robots disabled, they have a little breathing room, and he and Rhodey target the large rail guns and missile defenses. They manage to take out most of the weaponry that’s protecting Strucker’s base of operations, and that’s when something hits him and he starts tumbling from the sky.

 

There’s a roar, and Tony feels something hit him, and instead of the hard landing he expects, there’s a jolt and then he’s released. The Hulk sets Tony on his feet, his face inches from Tony’s.

 

“I’m okay, big guy,” Tony promises. “Thanks for the save.”

 

Hulk bares his teeth. “Hulk saves Iron Man.”

 

“Yeah, you always do,” Tony replies, patting him on the arm. “Rhodey? What the hell happened?”

 

“We’ve got another robot!” Rhodey shouts. “Only this one is bigger!”

 

Tony scans the sky and watches as a larger robot shoots Rhodey with a beam of light, and Rhodey starts to fall but then recovers. “Jarvis?”

 

“I believe that would be Ultron, sir,” Jarvis replies. “I’m still working on getting through its defenses.”

 

“Tony!” Cap calls. “You okay?”

 

“Yeah, I’m good,” Tony replies, flying up to provide support for Rhodey. “Rhodey, let’s try to lure it down within range of the Hulk.”

 

“Got it,” Rhodey replies.

 

Ultron laughs. “Do you think I’m worried about the beast?”

 

The Hulk lets out a cry, and to Tony’s horror, the transformation begins to reverse. “Oh, shit,” Tony says. “Guys, they just took out the Hulk. Bruce is vulnerable.”

 

“Tony, we can’t spare anybody!” Cap replies. “Falcon and I will get there as soon as we can, but we’re taking fire.”

 

“I know,” Tony replies, anguished.

 

Rhodey blasts Ultron. “Get him to cover! I’ll keep him busy.”

 

Tony doesn’t see a safe spot, so he does the best he can by carrying Bruce’s unconscious form behind a pile of rubble. Bruce doesn’t so much as stir, and with a growl, Tony redoubles his attack on Ultron.

 

“I’m coming to you,” Steve calls. “Hang in there.”

 

“Where’s Thor?” Tony asks.

 

Steve lets out a sound that’s pure frustration. “I don’t know. I lost him.”

 

“Ultron hit him,” Rhodey says. “He fell around the same time they got Banner.”

 

“You will all fall,” Ultron says, taunting them. “Every single one of you will fall.”

 

Nothing he or Rhodey do seem to make a dent, and it becomes fairly clear that Ultron is made of vibranium, which means he’s nearly indestructible.

 

“West side is clear,” Natasha announces. “I’m is coming to you.”

 

“On my way,” Jennifer calls. “Clint’s been picked up by medical.”

 

“Guys, Ultron is made of vibranium,” Tony says. “He’s not going down.”

 

Thor flies in, a blur of armor, and hits Ultron hard with Mjolnir. “I have him.”

 

Ultron laughs and hits back, sending Thor flying through the air.

 

And then Ultron begins to crackle with electricity, and Tony gets hit in the chest. He begins to think that maybe they really are going to lose this one.

 

~~~~~

 

Jennifer doesn’t mind being paired with Clint, whose wry, sarcastic humor is a good match for her. Besides, Clint’s prowess with the bow will let him keep his distance while Jennifer engages in close combat.

 

She knows this mission is going to be a tough one, but she tries to stay optimistic. She wants to believe that they’re all going to get through this unscathed. She _has_ to believe it.

 

At first, things seem to be going fairly well. She and Clint are holding their own, with Clint taking out Hydra operatives from a distance while Jennifer engages them in hand-to-hand.

 

And then reinforcements arrive. There are four SHIELD agents ranged around them to help them breach the perimeter, and one of them goes down, which is when things began turning.

 

When Jennifer reaches her, she’s been shot in the head, and is obviously dead. Jennifer hisses angrily, and redoubles her efforts to take down the rest of the Hydra agents.

 

The intelligence they gathered indicated that there were a large number of Hydra agents concentrated in this location, but there just doesn’t seem to be an end to them.

 

Another SHIELD agent goes down, and Jennifer tries to keep track of Clint, and of the others over the coms, but she has her hands full, and her attention is divided.

 

 _This is going to go south so fucking fast_ , she thinks viciously, and isn’t at all surprised when it does, and Clint goes down with a cry of pain.

 

She’s at least within range, even if she’s too busy covering him and fighting off Hydra goons to offer first aid. Jennifer does keep them off Clint so that he can get a pressure bandage out from one of his pockets and slap it on his thigh.

 

Hill promises help, but it still feels like a long time before anybody appears, and before Clint is in the hands of the SHIELD medics. In the meantime, Bruce apparently goes down, and Jennifer hates not being there.

 

Finally, _finally_ , additional reinforcements arrive, and Jennifer makes sure that Clint has a clear path away from the front lines and to help, and then she heads for the fortress.

 

She’s listening to the others’ voices over coms, and it’s not good, it’s _so not good_. She takes out as many Hydra goons as she can on her way, but even though most of the Avengers have converged on Ultron’s location, Bruce is down, and Ultron is apparently winning.

 

Jennifer narrows her eyes and adjusts her course. She’s pretty sure they need someone on the inside.

 

Even though it kills her to leave Bruce unprotected, she heads for an entrance that Steve and Clint marked on their recon. It’s not used much, and she slips inside and heads deeper into the fortress.

 

She can hear the others on her earpiece, and it’s pretty clear they’re mostly getting their asses handed to them. She doesn’t hear Bruce, but he hadn’t been wearing a com for obvious reasons.

 

Jennifer is nearly there, nearly at the center, where she can maybe put her information to good use, when she feels something _other_ touch her mind, and she’s lost in a red haze.

 

~~~~~

 

Bruce wakes slowly, his mind sluggish, and he realizes that he’s back to normal, behind a pile of rubble, and he can still hear the sounds of a battle behind him.

 

Well, that’s not good.

 

He peeks out, and he sees Tony and Rhodes double-teaming a robot as big as the Hulk, which seems to be holding them off easily. Thor gets flung away on one of his runs, and he picks himself up and visibly steels himself to try again. Steve and Sam are apparently holding off the Hydra goons lining up to take the Avengers out while their attention is elsewhere.

 

Bruce doesn’t see Natasha or Clint or Jen. He tries to summon up his anger, and it’s there, but he can’t quite manage the transformation.

 

He needs to try something else.

 

Taking a run at the robot appears to be out of the question for the moment, and Bruce frowns, seeing a doorway across the field of battle that should lead deeper into the fortress. Presumably, he can probably get access to their computer system, and maybe he’ll find something that will take the robot down, or maybe to cause it to disengage.

 

He’s halfway there when Jennifer bursts out of the same door, green and snarling, looking completely lost to anger in a way that Bruce has never seen before.

 

Bruce has no idea what’s happened to cause her to lose control like that, but he decides to take the opportunity.

 

One of them is green and invulnerable, unlike the rest of their teammates, and Bruce darts out into the open. “Hey!” he calls, wanting to draw everybody’s attention to himself. “Hey, Hydra tool!”

 

The robot turns to him, casually shooting Rhodes and sending him tumbling through the air. “You know, I really thought you’d be unconscious longer. Or maybe dead.”

 

“I guess I’m getting used to the drug,” Bruce replies, and he knows Jennifer is bearing down on him. “She-Hulk, that’s the enemy!”

 

He points, and he’s not sure if she hears him, or even if she’ll take direction when she’s like this, but she launches herself off the ground and at the robot, who is clearly not prepared for her blinding rage.

 

Bruce pauses to see if there’s any way he can transform and decides there’s no way, and then he heads into the fortress.

 

~~~~~

 

Tony is incredibly relieved when he hears Bruce call out, taunting Ultron, although he’d welcome the Hulk’s presence right about now. Instead, he gets Jennifer, who attacks Ultron with a kind of single-minded fury that Tony’s used to seeing from the Hulk and not Jen’s greener half.

 

Jennifer seizes Ultron around the neck, long legs around what would be a waist on a human, tearing at him with furious hands.

 

They can’t fire at Ultron without hitting Jennifer, and no one wants to draw her ire, so they pull back, even as Natasha arrives.

 

She glances around, takes stock, and asks, “Where’s Bruce?”

 

“He went into the fortress,” Tony replies. “Jarvis, where are we at?”

 

“Ultron’s consciousness cannot be stored in his body,” Jarvis says helpfully. “It’s too big for that.”

 

“Much like you,” Tony murmurs. “If I can get you in, can you do anything about this?”

 

“I believe so, yes,” Jarvis replies. “If you can plug in the thumb drive to the main computer.”

 

Tony looks at Natasha. “I think we can shut it down if you can get me inside to the main computer. I’m pretty sure that’s where Bruce was headed.”

 

She nods. “I’ll get you there.”

 

And then the Hulk comes roaring out, shattering stonework as he goes, and Tony has a feeling of trepidation. There’s something really, really wrong with whatever is going on in the fortress.

 

“I’ve got your back,” Natasha insists. “We’ll be careful.”

 

They’re just a few feet inside the fortress when Tony feels a sick fear as he feels straps around his wrists, and he’s back in Hydra’s clutches.

 

And then Natasha is shouting, “Tony! _Tony_!”

 

Tony blinks and he’s back in his armor, in Strucker’s stronghold. “What the hell was that?”

 

Natasha waves to the two kids lying unconscious on the floor that she’s apparently tied up. “I think they have enhanced abilities,” Natasha replies. “I’m guessing one of them got to the Hulks. She came up behind you and was doing something, and he was moving almost too fast for me.”

 

They head deeper into the fortress. Tony can still hear the others on coms, but judging from what Steve is saying, they’re hanging back to leave the Hulks room to work.

 

Tony isn’t sure if they’re going after Ultron or each other or both, but Steve says, “Yes! There goes an arm!” and it’s definitely a partial victory.

 

But it won’t matter if they leave Ultron enough of himself to recover.

 

Steve and Clint’s recon had been thorough, and they’d all studied the plans for the base. He and Natasha find their way there easily enough, mowing through the remaining guards with repulsor beams and tasers.

 

Tony is actually rather amused at how well they act together, in tune with each other, until they reach the nerve center, and Tony spots the man he recognizes as Strucker.

 

Strucker brings up a gun, and Natasha’s hand flashes, and one of her bites hits him in the center of the chest and knocks him out.

 

And then they’re alone.

 

“All right,” Tony murmurs. “Let’s see what we can see. Can I step out of the suit?”

 

Natasha nods. “One entrance, and I’ll stay on guard.”

 

Tony knows that there has to be a connection between Ultron’s body and Ultron’s brain, and he needs to both disrupt the connection and the brain. Jarvis is set up the same way, and he wants to take it all down.

 

He wants to save his friends—his family.

 

He plugs in the thumb drive with one of his specialties—plug and play programs that search for backdoors in the system and exploit them.

 

Jarvis is on coms as well, and Tony begins typing, searching for traces of a link to Ultron. “Got it!” he crows.

 

“I believe you do, sir,” Jarvis replies. “Shall I deploy the Trojan?”

 

“Go for it, J,” Tony replies. “Cap, let me know if and/or when Ultron goes down.”

 

“Will do,” Steve replies, somewhat breathlessly. “The Hulks are still whaling on him, but the vibranium is making that tough. We’re mostly just letting them have at it.”

 

“Good idea,” Tony replies. “I have no idea how long the whammy lasts if Widow isn’t there to disrupt it.”

 

“The whammy?” Sam asks.

 

“Whatever the enhanced person does,” Tony replies. “For a minute, she made me think I was back with Hydra, so I’m guessing she made them see something just as bad.”

 

“Shit,” Steve says succinctly. “I guess it’s probably a good thing this happened in the middle of a battle here, instead of in the middle of the city.”

 

“Definitely a good thing,” Sam says. “I’m surprised either of them are still standing, actually.”

 

“Are they whaling on Ultron or each other?” Tony asks.

 

“Kind of both,” Steve replies. “And Ultron’s down. Should we bring out the tranqs?”

 

“No,” Tony replies. “Let them work it out. We don’t know how the tranqs will interact with the whammy. They can’t hurt each other, so just stay out of the way.”

 

“We need to clear the rest of the stronghold,” Natasha says. “And take Strucker and the others into custody.”

 

“On it,” Steve says. “We mostly have things buttoned up out here.”

 

“Finishing clean up out here,” Hill announces.

 

Tony looks around. “I’ll start going through everything in here.”

 

“I’m going to check on our enhanced persons,” Natasha replies, only to call out a minute later, “They’re gone. Does anybody have eyes on them?”

 

“No, nothing out here,” Steve replies. “They probably made good on their escape.”

 

“That does not make me feel good,” Tony complains. “Who knows who they’ll whammy next?”

 

“Worry about that later,” Natasha advises. “We can alert the military, Interpol, whoever else will watch for them. We’ll list them as enemy combatants.”

 

“Best we can do,” Steve agrees. “It looks like the Hulks are winding down. Yeah, Jen’s back to normal, and Bruce is getting there.”

 

“Send Bruce in when he’s ready,” Tony replies. “I’m going to need his help going through this stuff.”

 

Natasha comes back into the room. “This doesn’t end Hydra, but this takes one of their major bases of operation out of the picture,” she points out. “This was a win, Tony, an expensive one—but a win.”

 

“I know,” Tony replies, but he still feels that creeping uneasiness, and he doesn’t think it’s going away.

 

~~~~~

 

Pepper glances around. “Are you sure it’s okay for me to be here?”

 

“I want you here,” Phil says firmly. “Plus, it’s a more secure way of monitoring what’s going on than from your office.”

 

Phil surprised her with the invitation. She knew that the Avengers were going to Sokovia, and that the mission was both big and dangerous. She thought she’d be waiting for someone to get around to calling her after it’s all over, so Phil’s invitation goes a long way towards earning her forgiveness.

 

Of course, now that she’s here, she wonders if it’s going to be too much to deal with, listening to it happen in real time.

 

“This place is fairly remarkable,” Pepper comments as they enter what looks like a war room. There are agents around the room in front of monitors, and the pilot who had picked her up in Los Angeles follows them inside.

 

“Pull up all the transmissions from Sokovia,” May orders. “Coms and satellite imaging.”

 

It’s early in the morning, so they can’t see much on satellites, and there are a number of communications transmissions that seem to be kind of garbled.

 

“Isolate Hill’s com,” Phil orders.

 

Hill’s voice is clear as she says, “Team one, status?”

 

“Ready,” comes the response.

 

One by one, Hill checks in with the six teams SHIELD had deployed to Sokovia, and they all profess to be ready.

 

“Cap has given the go,” Hill says. “Move in.”

 

“What about Bruce and Tony’s feeds?” Pepper asks in a whisper.

 

Phil shakes his head. “Too confusing. Hill is running our people, and Cap is running the Avengers. We’re coordinating from here with the satellite feeds.”

 

Maybe it’s for the best, Pepper thinks. If she hears everything that’s going on, she might go a little crazy.

 

Thirty minutes later, Pepper is _certain_ it would drive her crazy. Just what she’s hearing from Hill and her people is bad enough. Of the 24 SHIELD agents in the field, a third go down in that period of time. Then Hill calls in the on-site field medics to retrieve Clint Barton.

 

“He’s seriously injured, but should make a full recovery,” Hill announces. “We have him.”

 

Phil scrubs his face with his hands and breathes out a sigh of relief. “Good. Perkins, monitor his condition, please.”

 

One of the techs nods. “Yes, sir.”

 

“Hsu, do you have eyes?” Hill demands.

 

“I don’t know, ma’am,” Hsu replies. “I mean, there’s a bunch of robots, and the Hulk is fighting them, but—uh, the Hulk isn’t the Hulk anymore.”

 

“Is the battle over?” Hill asks.

 

“No, ma’am. He just went down.” Hsu sounds bewildered. “I didn’t think anything could take down the Hulk.”

 

Hill sighs. “It’s classified, or it’s supposed to be. Too many people seem to know about it these days.”

 

“It’s the damn files,” Phil mutters. “That information was in SHIELD’s files, and Hydra would know. Pierce certainly did.”

 

“What about Bruce?” Pepper asks.

 

Hill asks, “Eyes on Dr. Banner?”

 

“I don’t—yeah, they’re getting him under cover,” Hsu replies.

 

Pepper remembers how Killian had injured him using that very formula. As long as Bruce is drugged, he’s vulnerable.

 

Hill is directing the remaining SHIELD agents to close in on the base, and then she says, “Thomas, what the hell is going on?”

 

“I don’t know, ma’am!” comes the panicked response. “Somers just started shooting wildly!”

 

“Where are you in relation to him?” Hill demands.

 

“We dove for cover!” Thomas says. “I don’t know. I thought I saw a blur, but—”

 

“If you see it again, shoot it,” Hill orders. “We have two enhanced people here, and at least one of them can affect someone’s mind.”

 

“Shoot to kill,” Thomas confirms. “If I see them.”

 

“Hsu, sitrep,” Hill orders.

 

There’s a hesitation. “Well, the robots are gone, but it looks like the Hulks are beating each other up.”

 

“Why would—” Pepper stops. “Wait, when did Bruce transform again? He usually can’t right after a dose.”

 

“Someone probably messed with his head,” Phil points out. “They may have gotten to Ms. Walters as well.”

 

“That would explain it,” Pepper murmurs.

 

There’s some more chatter, but things seem to be winding down, and finally Hill says, “Everything is secure. We’ll alert the alphabet agencies and Interpol, as well as the other intelligence agencies that we need to capture the enhanced persons. They seem to have escaped. Strucker is in custody, as well as a number of other Hydra agents. We’ll be interrogating them over the next few weeks.”

 

“Good work, Maria,” Phil replies. “Let me know if you need anything from us.”

 

Pepper’s phone rings, and she sees Tony’s name on the caller ID. “Tony?”

 

“We’re okay,” he says immediately. “I mean, Bruce is pretty groggy, and I think he and Jennifer are going to be sorer than usual, and that weird chick likely scarred me for life, but I’ll get over it.”

 

Pepper can’t begin to parse that statement. “I can’t wait to hear all about it. Are you heading back to the Tower or that other place no one is supposed to know about?”

 

Tony laughs. “The Tower. We’re going to keep that other place as a retreat in case of emergencies.”

 

“See you soon,” Pepper promises. “I’ll head there next.”

 

“Are you in LA?” Tony asks. “It doesn’t sound like you’re in LA.”

 

“How do you do that?” Pepper asks. “And I’m with Phil. I heard a lot of it.”

 

Tony sighs. “Well, we’re all in one piece, and we’ll see you soon.”

 

“Be careful, Tony,” Pepper orders. “I know you, and you can get in trouble even when there’s supposedly no trouble to get into.”

 

Tony laughs. “I’ll be careful, Pep.”

 

When she hangs up, Phil puts a hand on her arm and says, “Let’s talk in my office.”

 

Pepper follows him with a sense of trepidation, knowing that tone. She makes an effort not to cross her arms defensively, knowing that would be a dead giveaway as to her feelings. “What’s up?”

 

“I wanted to apologize again for going silent on you,” Phil replies. He takes the second seat on the other side of his desk rather than putting any distance between them. He doesn’t ask her to sit, which is also a dead giveaway. Phil wants her to feel comfortable taking the superior position.

 

Pepper nods. “I’ll admit that today’s gesture makes a difference.”

 

“That’s part of why I asked you to be here,” Phil admits. “But the other part of it is that I wanted to invite you to be part of this. We’ve all danced around this issue, Pepper. Everyone knows how close you are to Bruce and Tony, and most higher ranking SHIELD agents know we are—were—close.”

 

Pepper frowns. “I’m not sure I know what your point is.”

 

“It’s ridiculous that you haven’t been acknowledged as a close ally, if not publicly, then at least internally,” Phil replies. “I’m offering you official access, separately from your relationship with me. Whatever access you want, at whatever level you want. You have a lot on your plate, so if you don’t want any additional information, I’d understand, but it’s up to you.”

 

Pepper blinks. “Oh. Okay. Wow.”

 

“Is that a good ‘wow’ or a bad ‘wow?’” Phil asks.

 

“Good,” Pepper replies, because it _is_. Bruce and Tony—well, mostly Bruce—are appreciative, and they both include her, but it’s galled her on occasion that no one at SHIELD seems to recognize her contributions. “I just didn’t expect it.”

 

“Well, Fury liked plausible deniability, but I’m trying to turn over a new leaf,” Phil admits wryly. “And I’m not saying that we should start anything up again. I don’t know that you’d _want_ to, since I still haven’t figured out what’s going on with me, and I’m not safe, and I don’t know when or if I will be.”

 

Pepper bites back a smile. “But?”

 

“But staying away from you is the hardest thing I’ve ever had to do, and even if we’re just friends—if you want to stay friends—”

 

Pepper cuts off his words with a kiss, not wanting to waste any more time on excuses or recriminations. She’s not ready to start anything again, or even to try a relationship again, but her feelings haven’t changed.

 

There’s more hurt present, but she still likes him.

 

“Friends,” she says when the kiss ends. “For now. And if you want more, we work on it. We go slow. We make sure it’s safe.”

 

Phil takes a deep, audible breath. “Thank you.”

 

“This is for me,” she replies. “It’s not for you.”

 

Phil chuckles. “Well. I’m the grateful byproduct, then.”

 

~~~~~

 

Bruce leans back in his chair and hears his spine crack. “Oof. You doing okay over there, Tony?”

 

“Yeah, but remind me to give you a massage when we get back to the Tower,” Tony replies. “How about you? Any side effects from the whammy?”

 

Bruce shrugs. “I don’t really remember it. One moment I was fine and heading in to figure out how to shut Ultron down, the next moment I’m waking up with Ultron in pieces. I’m surprised I could even manage to transform again that soon after a dose.”

 

“Maybe you and Jennifer have more in common than you thought,” Tony suggests. “Fear and anger aren’t that different.”

 

Bruce ducks his head. “No, they aren’t.”

 

“What about Jennifer?” Tony asks. “You touched base with her?”

 

“Momentarily,” Bruce replies. “She’s helping with cleanup, but we’ll talk later. I think she might have caught a quick glimpse of the girl, but she didn’t get an impression other than the fact that she was young.”

 

Tony sighs. “We need to figure out how to combat this whammy thing.”

 

“Is that what we’re calling it?” Bruce asks mildly.

 

“What do _you_ want to call it?” Tony shoots back.

 

Bruce shrugs. “Whammy is fine. I don’t remember it, and you obviously do, and Hydra was fucking with your brain not that long ago. So, I’m guessing maybe you’re not as okay as you’re saying.”

 

When Tony doesn’t reply, Bruce gets up and walks over to him, and Tony presses his face into Bruce’s stomach. Bruce runs a hand through Tony’s hair and holds him close. “Okay. So, not doing great?”

 

“I’m maintaining.”

 

“So, not great.”

 

“Bruce, we’re out in the field, and we have a lot of work to do—”

 

“Take a moment,” Bruce murmurs. “Tony, just breathe, okay? You got your brain fucked with, and it sucks, and you’re not weak for needing to take a fucking moment.”

 

Tony clutches at him and shudders, and Bruce just hangs on tight, running his hands through Tony’s hair and soothing him as best as he can.

 

“I was back there, Bruce,” Tony says.

 

“You’re not there now,” Bruce replies firmly. “But I will do whatever I can to prove that to you. What do you need?”

 

“I’m good. In a few minutes.”

 

Bruce has no problem staying just where they are.

 

Steve pokes his head into the room, but behind Tony’s back, and Bruce shakes his head. Steve nods and ducks back out again.

 

“Who was there?” Tony asks once he leaves.

 

“Cap,” Bruce replies.

 

“Shit.”

 

“Tony, you’re human. So is Steve. Do you remember when he conveniently forgot to tell you about Bucky’s role in your parents’ deaths, and I read him the riot act?”

 

“The first part, yes,” Tony replies, pulling back. “The second part, not so much.”

 

“I told him if he couldn’t be honest with us, I couldn’t follow him,” Bruce replies. “That we might have to make difficult decisions, and if he couldn’t put the mission first, the way you and I would, I couldn’t trust him.”

 

“Goddamn, you don’t pull your punches,” Tony says admiringly.

 

Bruce shrugs. “He hurt you, and I know what happened, okay? I know I got hit with a tranq, and it put everybody in a tough spot.”

 

“It did,” Tony admits. “If Rhodey hadn’t covered me, it would have left you vulnerable.”

 

“But you would have done it.”

 

“Yes,” Tony says. “It killed me, but I would have.”

 

“That’s the point,” Bruce says. “We have to trust that Steve would do the same thing. You did it, I would do it if I had to, and if I was in my right mind. You proved it.”

 

Tony sighs. “Well, I guess that will make a difference if we ever find Steve’s friend.”

 

“If it makes a difference, it makes our conversation worthwhile,” Bruce replies. “Also, it made me feel better because he hurt your feelings, and that pisses me off.”

 

“I love you,” Tony says.

 

“Yeah, I know,” Bruce replies. “I love you, too.”

 

“We should get back to work.”

 

“You ready?”

 

“Yeah, I’m okay for now.”

 

“Let’s get back to work.” Bruce presses his lips to Tony’s forehead. “I’m going to take care of you.”

 

“You always do,” Tony says fondly.

 

Bruce indulges in one last kiss—for now. “Then let’s get this done so we can go home.”

 

Strucker’s fortress is a treasure trove of lost items from SHIELD, additional data on Hydra and its assets, and research done on enhanced persons—which is troubling, because it’s not terribly clear their test subjects were always volunteers.

 

Bruce files that away under “tomorrow’s problem” and focuses on removing the rest of the hard drives for transport. They’re going to have to be careful with the data, and only work on it on a closed server, since no one wants Ultron back up and running, but there’s proof on here that Hydra coopted Ultron, and orchestrated the thefts, and some of Darren Cross’ technology had conveniently been found.

 

They’ll go public with that information in the next week, and that should get the military off their backs for now.

 

He hopes.

 

Once they have the items that are going straight to the Tower—including the scepter, the hard drives, and a few additional items—they can leave. Bruce is so tired, he’s pretty sure he could sleep for a week.

 

He pauses on his way back to the Quinjet to check on Clint, who’s still being treated by SHIELD medical.

 

“Hey, doc,” Clint says cheerfully, the slight slur in his words suggesting he’s already gotten a dose of the good stuff. “I hear we got all the bad guys.”

 

“Most of the bad guys,” Bruce replies. “We lost some SHIELD agents, but you’re the only casualty on the team.”

 

He hitches a shoulder. “It’s a flesh wound. Mostly soft tissue damage, and no damage to the bone or artery.”

 

“I have a friend who’s doing some work in synthetic skin and muscle,” Bruce offers. “It could shorten your recovery time by a week or two. I could give her a call.”

 

Clint brightens. “Yeah, that would be great. You’re a really good team mom, you know.”

 

Bruce sighs and knows he’s not living that one down any time soon. He pats Clint’s shoulder. “Get some rest. By the time you’re back at the Tower, I’ll have news from Dr. Cho, okay?”

 

Tony is barely awake when Bruce makes it to the Quinjet, this time with Natasha piloting, and he’s asleep in moments, slumped against Bruce’s shoulder.

 

Jennifer sits down next to him. “You okay?”

 

“I’ll be better once we’re home,” Bruce admits. “What about you? Any lasting damage?”

 

“I’m sore and tired, but I don’t really remember much about what she did,” Jennifer admits. “I remember being scared and transforming, but that’s about it until towards the end, when Ultron went down. At that point, I figured my best bet was to keep you busy so you didn’t go after anybody else.”

 

Bruce nods. “That’s good thinking.”

 

“I’m sorry.”

 

Bruce turns his head sharply, trying not to dislodge Tony. “About what?”

 

“Before, when we fought about me transforming, and you warned me about the fallout, I didn’t get it,” Jennifer admits.

 

Bruce sighs. “Jen, that was almost a lifetime ago—or it feels that way. It’s water under the bridge.”

 

“No,” she insists. “This thing—it feels like a part of me, not some separate person sharing my skin, and I kind of assumed that it felt the same way for you. I didn’t understand, because I never understood how truly out of control it feels for _you_ to transform.”

 

Bruce lets out a weary chuckle. “I would have preferred you not get firsthand experience.”

 

“Maybe, but I understand better why you were worried,” Jennifer offers. “And you weren’t wrong. I kind of fucked myself over.”

 

“Not really,” Bruce argues. “We would have been in much worse shape to deal with all of this if you hadn’t gone through that information. We needed you—green and otherwise.”

 

She leans into his other shoulder. “Thanks, Bruce.”

 

“Any time.”

 

Bruce exchanges a few words with the others, making plans for a debrief the next day, and ensuring they all had a place to crash at the Tower if they wanted it. Surprisingly, Natasha is the only one who takes him up on that offer, Steve and Sam deciding to go back to their apartments.

 

Rhodey stayed behind in Sokovia to liaise with the military there, although they expect him back in a few days.

 

“Get some rest,” Steve advises. “And look after Tony. I know he’s had a rough month.”

 

“You could say that,” Bruce says dryly. “We’ll see you tomorrow.”

 

“Take it easy, Tony,” Sam calls. “And the wings worked great, by the way.”

 

Tony summons up a smile. “Glad to hear it, Wilson.”

 

They shower together with no thought but to get clean and then collapse into bed. Tony pulls him close, tangling their legs.

 

“Have you thought about chucking all of this and going to a beach somewhere?” Tony asks. “Just say fuck you to the world and let it all burn?”

 

“Every day,” Bruce replies. “We still can. Hydra’s crippled, we’ve bought some time. If you need time to get your head on straight, we should take that time.”

 

Tony shakes his head. “I think I just need some sleep.”

 

“Hey, it’s my job to take care of you,” Bruce insists. “I think that’s what that ring on my finger means. You take care of me.”

 

“I’ll let you know,” Tony promises. “But I really think I just need some sleep.”

 

“Sleep then,” Bruce replies.

 

~~~~~

 

Tony wakes from the nightmare, his breath caught in his throat. He glances at Bruce, who’s still sleeping deeply, and he’s glad for that. He knows Bruce had been just as exhausted, and he hadn’t slept on the ride back.

 

He rolls out of bed, careful not to disturb Bruce, and pours himself a drink in the common area, staring out the window at the city.

 

Tony wants to take that time Bruce offered. He wants to find a private island away from everything and everyone—and he knows it’s not an option.

 

His brain is a minefield, and he probably has triggers he doesn’t know about, but he also knows there’s a real possibility that there will be another emergency. They don’t know that they’ve been able to eradicate Ultron, there are a couple of enhanced people working for Hydra, with the potential for others.

 

And they have no idea how deep the corruption in the military goes.

 

Tony senses Bruce approaching from behind, but he doesn’t say anything.

 

“I can’t take time off,” Tony finally says.

 

“Maybe you should talk to someone,” Bruce suggests.

 

Tony laughs mirthlessly. “Who?”

 

“Sam?” Bruce suggests.

 

“I’ll think about it,” Tony replies. “I’d rather talk to you, though.”

 

“I would hope you’d do that anyway,” Bruce replies.

 

Tony nods. “Always.”

 

He thinks that if he can just manage to keep Bruce, he might be okay eventually.

 

~~~~~

 

And deep within the bowels of a forgotten Russian base of operations, a computer activates and a red light begins to blink.

 

Ultron will need to stitch itself back together.


End file.
